The Beginning is the End is the Beginning
by derlil
Summary: When 20-year-old Brenna transfers schools to escape her troubles, she may find that she's bitten off more than she can chew. Struggling to maintain changing friendships and a resurgence of her past, she seeks comfort in a group of five boys. Is this the beginning of something great, or the end of the line for her? Modern day AU.
1. Escapism

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did**

* * *

"Start somewhere new," they said. "It will be fun," they said. I seriously doubted it, but anything was better than the hell hole I was escaping. I unconsciously pressed my foot a little harder on the accelerator, adjusting my seat for the umpteenth time as I tried to get comfortable. My ass was starting to fall asleep on me, and I just couldn't find a way to grip the steering wheel that didn't make my wrists ache. This wasn't making my already dreaded road trip any easier.

My friends told me my first school wasn't the right fit. Well, that was for damn certain. But, really, how is any teenager supposed to pick the right University on their first go? When I left home, all I was concerned with was picking a school far enough away that I didn't feel obligated to visit home. Truthfully, this departure mirrored many others that happened over the years. I was a runner at heart, even if I had never tried out for track and field. I fled from the person I was in middle school when I graduated to a bigger high school, leaving behind a lot of drama terrible fashion choices. I escaped my first high school to move to a more private institution. I told my friends it was because I was gifted, and we joked that I was heading Xavier's where I would learn to control some sort of hidden abilities I recently discovered, but we all knew the humor was just a cover for the truth I wasn't ready to deal with. We all knew the real reason I left my high school was Joshua.

I turned up the music in my car a little louder causing the rearview mirror to vibrate, blurring out the cars behind me on the highway. I could hardly see out the rear window with all the crap loaded into the back anyway, so what did it matter if I obscured my view a little more?

* * *

 **"The Beginning is the End is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins**

* * *

 _Send a heartbeat to_  
 _The void that cries through you_  
 _Relive the pictures that have come to pass._

I groaned and I made a move toward the skip button on my dashboard, my finger hovering there with indecision. Would the next song actually be any better? My desktop PC, which contained all the music I had ever collected, was unfortunately zapped just two days before I began my journey. Now the only music I had left for entertainment during this extended drive were the songs I still owned CDs for. The catch was that I hadn't actually purchased a CD since middle school, almost nine years prior to this day. Boy did 2003 suddenly seem like a long time ago. But, hey, I would take Smashing Pumpkins over the Criss Angel: Mindfreak soundtrack any day, which was the only other CD readily accessible to switch over to at the moment. Middle school Brenna really could have used a hug.

 _For_ now _we stand alone_  
 _The world is lost and blown_  
 _And we are flesh and blood disintegrate,_  
 _With no more to hate._

"Young Haven State University welcomes you!" The sign snapped me back to reality and I lifted my phone to check the GPS. Only five more minutes and then I would be unloading my entire life into another new room. Moving was, admittedly, exciting the first few times. You got to pick out expressive decorations, create floor plans, and arrange things as you liked them for likely the first time in your life. The novelty wore off the third time I was expected to drag all my things out of my dorm room for a one week spring break, which is still the dumbest policy I've ever heard of. Nonetheless, even those caffeine-fueled, last minute packing frenzies were happier moves than this one.

 _Delivered from the blast_  
 _The last of a line of lasts_  
 _The pale princess of a place cracked._

I could convince everyone else that it was some sort of resurgence of childhood trauma to avoid explaining my rush to get the hell outta' Dodge, but the real reason I left Azuline, my old school, was still probably burned into my retinas if you looked close enough.

"My legs wouldn't stop shaking" is not the type of thing you want to see another girl texting your man when he leaves his phone sitting on the dashboard. A quick swipe through his text messages confirmed that less than twenty-four hours ago he had been in relations with someone else. This wasn't the first time it had happened. I'm not sure why I was so shocked. He chucked the phone out of the car when I told him I had seen, smashing it on the pavement. He begged me to take him back blaming the phone, the distance, and everything else under the sun to avoid accepting that maybe he was just a shitty human being all along. We called it quits a few weeks later.

 _And in your darkest hour_  
 _I hold secret's flame_  
 _We can watch the world devoured in its pain._

I don't know how I would have survived the breakup without my Young Haven friends. They helped me find myself again and truly define who I was as a standalone person. They were always there to help me pick up the pieces after another stupid decision came to a close and I could never possibly repay them for all they sacrificed for me. The night I left Ethan, they drove all the way out to Azuline just to try and lift my spirits. I could see William now, pushing his way into my tiny room in the honors residence hall, his shaggy brown hair being flipped in vain as he struggled to keep it out of his face. As he set the drinks down, he pushed it fully out of the way and I realized his intense brown eyes were shooting me a somewhat disapproving look from beneath his slightly protruding brow bone.

"You got another one of those?" He asked, gesturing to my fourth Mike's Hard Lemonade of the night. He had no way of knowing how many I had tossed back so far, but my low tolerance was probably giving me away. "Drinking alone is sad."

When Will and the others asked me to transfer schools to be with them that night, I laughed at them. The very idea was ridiculous. I didn't think anything would ever make me want to come back to this dump. And, yet, here I was on the final stretch of my adventure to the armpit of Ohio. It was renowned for experiencing sunshine just twenty percent of the entire year and was a proud member of the Rust Belt, an area that can best be described as a series of towns unable to bounce back from the steel industry collapse and slowly fading into obscurity. I had decided to move to Young Haven, Ohio. The place Joshua died. Funny how life always seems to move in circles.

 _Time has stopped before us_  
 _The sky cannot ignore us,_  
 _No one can—_

"And, that's enough out of you" I politely told my car radio as I located a parking spot, stopped the vehicle, and cut power to its engine. "Happy thoughts. New place. New life. Change is good." I repeated my mantra to myself while closing my eyes, counting to ten, and taking some deep breaths. I was glad to see a familiar face rushing toward me when I opened them again. She had hardly changed a bit. Her diamond shaped face, deep-set eyes and symmetrical features could have made her a model easily, but she was always too focused on school to even consider pursuing a career outside of physical therapy. Not much had changed about her looks from our high school days except her hair. Long gone was the mousy brown ponytail while platinum blonde, shoulder length waves were apparently the new trend. She always changed her hair color when she got a new boyfriend, and I wondered if this was the case now. I smiled, popping out of the car and saving the question for later.

"Brenna!" she squealed.

"Jordan!" we hugged briefly before, "Ouch!" I pulled away, looking down at my porcelain arms and noting they had turned a light salmon color. "Are you kidding me?! I managed to get a sunburn on my way to the cloudiest city in the United States?!" Jordan laughed and her blue-gray eyes sparkled.

"At least it's a beautiful day!" she always had a way of balancing out my negativity. I had to agree. The August weather was warm, but with occasional gusts of a chilled wind that hinted Fall was fast approaching.

" _And_ my car made it!" I patted the hood of my baby, surprised she was even able to make the trek with the added weight of my possessions. There were a few scrapes here and there in the cherry red paint, most notably the large dent in the back passenger side from where someone performed a hit and run a year ago. It wasn't like she was held together by duct tape, but she was going on eleven years which was old even by Honda standards.

"Come on, let's get you moved in!" I agreed, first deciding to pull my hair out of my face before it got in the way - I had let it grow out of control during my post-breakup moping. I wrapped the tie quickly, pulling both sides to tighten the hairstyle, then grabbed at strands framing my face that I knew would fall out anyway and tucked them behind my ears. I had styled my hair this way for as long as I could remember, even after the layers had grown out long enough that they would have just stayed put.p  
"I really appreciate the help, but I can handle it myself," I tried to tell Jordan as we carried the first box load up the singular flight of stairs to our new apartment. "You already spent all day moving. I sat in a car. You take a load off and I'll get the rest of it inside."

"I'm already dressed for it and could use the extra exercise." She smiled, carrying box after box as if they were feather-light. Jordan was being honest about the clothing. She could almost always be found in either a designer dress or yoga gear. Today, it was the latter. However, I had to roll my eyes at the "extra exercise" comment. She had a petite yoga instructor frame I envied for as long as I could remember and it looked like she might have somehow lost even more weight since I last saw her. I let the argument drop, regardless, not wanting to be rude. She swiped us into the first door on the left at the top of the stairs and set her box down in the living room.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked, fluffing some black and white butterfly pillows on a hideously green and red plaid couch. "I tried to do some decorating, but…Nothing really goes along with these things. They said they're replacing them by the end of the year." That was Jordan – always the homemaker. I noticed she had also thrown down a few placemats on the end tables and strewn fluffy blankets across the backs of the couches. The floral centerpiece on the coffee table would likely block the view of our television, which appeared to have somehow survived from the nineties. I mentally shrugged, adding it to the list of things to be done later.

"Aside from the eyesore of a living room set, everything was kept a neutral color: white walls, beige carpeting, light blue counters, and light oak furnishings. It wasn't exactly my taste but, honestly, anything was an upgrade from my old dorm room. Last spring we were kicked out for a week so they could spray for roaches. This new apartment was small, but clean and overall very nice: four bedrooms, two bathrooms, one open layout kitchen, and a living room. Thanks to the large windows, the space was easily lit with natural light even with all the Young Haven clouds. Better still, I would be the third of three residents who would share the apartment. No one ended up being assigned to the forth room so I would get a bathroom to myself!

The other roommate, Colette, was a good friend of Jordan's who I had yet to meet until this moment. Her styled straight "cherry coke" hair, a trendy fashion on Pinterest lately, was a stark contrast to her fair skin which was very similar to mine in tone. Her face was wide, somewhat round, and her nose came to a sharp, downturned point. Her eyes were small, darkening the brown of her irises. She was not particularly tall or short and seemed a little plump, although Jordan had a tendency of making anyone she stood next to look overweight by comparison. Colette smiled, extending a hand, and seemed genuinely happy to meet me. After introductions, she and her boyfriend, Robert, also began pitching in to help me get moved in. Robert was best described as absent and unmemorable after that day. I think he had brown hair…? It doesn't really matter. I never saw much of him around the apartment.

In the end, we were all surprised at just how much I managed to cram into the Accord and my phone screen read 11 by the time we got everything moved in.

"Hey, I think there's only one box left" I called out. "I'll just grab it and be right back".

"Why don't you let Rob go with you?" Did I hear Jordan's voice waiver a little? She hid it well if it had.

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it!" I smiled.

"I'll just get the door for you. It isn't a great idea to wander around this place alone at night." Rob smiled, following me out the door anyway. I chose to ignore the daggers Jordan glared at the back of his head. I knew there had to be something up with this place, and it was just like her to try and hide the truth from me so I would agree to come out to stay. But, after retrieving the final few items, I started looking around. I nodded to the cop sitting in the parking lot, checking on kids walking in and out, and I noticed several security cameras attached to street lights. I was confused. My old university was much laxer in its security. With these added safety measures, I couldn't think of a time I felt more comfortable by myself. So what was the issue I was missing?

I dredged up the stairs for the final time, thanking my lucky stars that I was only living on the second floor. I was just setting the final box down, congratulating myself on a successful move-in, when it slipped.

"Mother _fuck_ er!" I yelled, unable to help myself, wincing immediately at my volume. If I hadn't blown it with Colette yet, I probably just did. She seemed like a pretty straight-laced girl. My first impression was ruined.

"What's wrong?" Jordan called from the living room, already getting up. I rushed out to grab a tissue before I had a chance to bleed on anything, realizing the neutral color scheme could become a problem very quickly. Even a speck of blood would show.

"Just a cardboard cut," I grumbled, dabbing at it.

"Ooooh," She cringed. "By the sounds of it, I thought something was in there with you."

"Like what?" I laughed, bringing the cut just below my mouth and making slurping sounds, imitating a vampire.

"No, I meant like a spider! You watch too many horror movies!"

I was going to respond but, turning to my left, I caught a very disapproving glance from a passerby. I had, apparently, forgotten to close the door. "Great, now the neighbors all _know_ I'm weird too" I muttered, kicking the door shut. By the time I turned around, Jordan was already returning with a bandage, shaking her head.

"Thanks," I sighed. "For everything." She knew I was implying much more than the Band-Aid.

"That's what friends are for." She smiled.

"Well, I'm pooped and I still have to unpack enough to uncover my bed before I can go to sleep. I'll catch you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm off to bed, too. Night!" And with that, we turned out the lights and closed our respective doors.

* * *

 _She nearly jumped out of her skin when the bike revved behind her, shattering the hush of the evening._

 _"Hey, girl!" the young man with the wild, blonde hair hollered at her as he sped past. "Let me get your number!" His voice and laughter faded off into the distance as he, followed by three other motorcyclists, disappeared into the night. She rolled her eyes, moving a little faster toward the dining hall and hugging her jacket a little tighter to her body. She wasn't cold – this was a much warmer client she was used to – she was just incredibly uncomfortable with having attention drawn to herself. As if she didn't have enough concerns about going to school all the way out here._

 _"Asshole!" Someone behind her yelled, and she bristled. She hadn't noticed anyone else around, but as she glanced back, she noticed a curly haired blonde shooting the bird in the direction of the bikers. "Stupid freshmen" he commented, quickly catching up with her. "Here for two days and they think they own the place…"_

 _"Yeah…" She glanced down at the campus map clutched in her hand, crease lines spiderwebbing the image from her anxious crinkling of the paper._

 _"Oh, sorry…You're a freshman, aren't you?"_

 _"Yeah…"_

 _"My bad." He scratched the back of his neck, grimacing. "That was a shitty way of starting things off. Uhh…Are you heading to dinner?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Cool. Me too. I'll show you the way." The relief visually washed through her. "So, where are you from?"_

 _"Alaska" she brushed some of her light blonde hair behind an ear. "I doubt you would know the town. It's called Barrow?"_

 _"Holy shit!" he laughed. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

 _"I'm on a scholarship for track and field. I would have never heard of this place if they hadn't recruited me."_

 _"Damn, Alaska…That's so cool…Oh, man, I heard the nights last forever there!"_

 _"Actually...In the winter, it lasts for about two months." She smiled a little, surprised he was taking any interest. She wasn't used to being flirted with, especially coming from a guy this …Normal. They were typically all creeps. She began to panic, worried she would say something stupid soon. She had been doing well so far, but, this was usually where she tripped over words, choked on her own saliva, or something equally embarrassing. "But then in the summer we get twenty-four hours of sun for almost three months, so it's actually not so bad."_

 _"That's so weird!" he exclaimed. She tried to pull off a convincing smile, suddenly hyper-aware of every muscle moving within her face. Was she blinking a normal amount? He pulled open the door to the Christoff dining hall, gesturing for her to enter first. "You have friends waiting for you here?"_

 _"No…I guess I was kind of hoping I would just bump into someone from my hall or something." Her cheeks burned at the confession._

 _"Then I guess we're having dinner together." He smiled warmly and she could feel herself melt just a little._

 _She was grateful that she didn't have to sit at a table alone, and he had her laughing almost the entire time at his stories about his first days of school._

 _"You'll do fine!" He started off, dismissing her worries about her first days on campus. "You couldn't do worse than I did, anyway. In fact, I challenge you to have a worse first day than I did." He jabbed a fork in her direction for emphasis. "_ First _day on campus, I'm leaving my dorm and totally eat it. Tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, ripped up my jeans...People were everywhere and not one of them stopped to help him up." He noticed the strange look she gave him, then corrected himself. "ME. No one stopped to help ME up. I can be such a ditz." He smacked himself in the head causing her to giggle. "And then, my roommate…I had the worst roommate in the world. He constantly talked about me in Spanish to his friends, was up half the night Skyping SUPER loud with the lights on, and always came home drunk on nights I had early classes. Hell, I hated the whole hallway. They always went out drinking at the bars, and I was stuck in my room because my girlfriend, Rachel, wouldn't let me go out."_

 _"That's ridiculous!" She rolled her eyes while patting off her grease-logged pizza with a napkin._

 _"And all along, she was paranoid about me cheating on her when SHE was cheating on ME!" He continued. "With my own best friend!" She frowned sympathetically at him, making sure to swallow her food before speaking._

 _"You deserve better than that."_

 _"Well…Thanks." His expression seemed to soften a little "But, anyway, that's enough about her. What are you up to after this?"_

 _"I have my first eight A.M. Chemistry class tomorrow, so I wanted to get back early." She immediately regretted her words. She wanted to do anything but call it a night here. _

_"Gross." He scrunched his nose. "What are you even majoring in?"_

 _"Science education." She slapped his arm playfully as he faked a gag._

 _"Will you at least let me walk you home?" He pleaded as they emptied the rest of their food into the garbage and set their trays on the conveyor._

 _"Oh, I'm sure I could handle myself." Her eyes were downcast, but he could tell her resistance was a ploy. "Besides – I've inconvenienced you enough tonight."_

 _"But it wasn't an inconvenience," He insisted. "It would be my pleasure to protect you from any more biker weirdos."_

 _"Alright, you have a point." Her eyes returned to his sparkling blue ones as she caved. "I do seem to be attracting all sorts of strange men tonight."_

 _"Hey! I take offense to that!" He retorted in a teasing tone causing her smile to widen more._

 _In reality, he seemed elated that she took him up on his offer. In turn, he opted to follow a scenic trail back to her dorm which would allow her to avoid people she wasn't interested in talking with in the future, for which she thanked him profusely. Regardless, for all the fuss she made earlier about making it back on time, it was obvious that neither person was in a hurry to reach their destination based on their slow gaits and how they gravitated toward each other._

 _"You trying to hold hands or something?" he teased after the third or fourth time her hand bumped his while they were walking._

 _"No…" she trailed off, smirking over at him a bit. He returned the expression, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers._

 _"Uh huh…" His tone was skeptical, but they continued for a few yards before he pulled her to a stop on a bridge. "You know, you're not like other freshmen."_

 _"Really?" she attempted to hide her surprise._

 _"Really. There's something special about you." He took her other hand._

 _"And I'm so lucky I found you on my first day here," she admitted. "I can't thank you enough for all this. I don't know anyone here, and I was so worried I wouldn't make any friends…" He smiled back at her sympathetically, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear._

 _"Enough of that." He murmured. She sighed at the sudden closeness as he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, I have an idea." He abruptly separated from her. "You said you're a track all-star, right?"_

 _"Yeah?" Her head tilted a little to the side, not understanding where this was going._

 _"Let's have a race!" He spun her around so she was facing a small pavilion maybe forty yards away. "I haven't had a good run in a while. The first one to the pavilion wins." He was so goofy - it was adorable._

 _"Ok. You're on." She took off before he could say another word._

 _He was much slower than her, especially with her head start, but she was really only giving it half of her usual effort. She hazarded a glance back for a second, grinning at him cockily, but when she swiveled to watch the trail in front of her, she immediately ground her feet to a halt, unable to understand what she was seeing. He was already leaning against the railing of the pavilion. She looked back again only to discover that there was no one behind her at all. Somehow he had made it past her without her ever noticing. But that was impossible...Wasn't it?_

 _"I don't think that was really your best shot." He examined the dirt beneath his fingernails sounding disappointed, but she was most taken aback at how the warmth had drained from his tone of voice. It was like he had switched places with an entirely different person. That had to be it, right? There were two of them. This was some kind of prank. "I told you that I wanted you to span style="text-decoration: underline_ ;"runspan _."_

 _"I don't understand. What's going on here?" She was rooted to the spot._

 _"Are you stupid?" He took a few steps forward and she began to backpedal. He scoffed at her but had his hand wrapped around her throat in an instant later, closing the ten-foot gap between them in fractions of a second. "Every night it's the same old fucking game, and I'm so bored with it. Find some girl on campus who looks like she just needs a friend, _feed _her some information about a made up past or one you stole from your last snack,_ make _her think she's special,_ get _her alone…" He trailed off, finally returning his gaze to her eyes. "Did you even realize you didn't know my name when you agreed to go for a stroll through the park at night with me?" She made a sound of protest, but his grip put a stop to that. She was certain her windpipe was being crushed. She clawed at his fingers, but if it caused him any pain, he wasn't letting it show. "It's like you all WANT to be killed."_

 _Darkness began to creep in at the corners of her vision. She was suddenly very aware of how far from campus they probably were. She hadn't met her roommate yet. No one in this state knew she was out here alone. She glanced around frantically for any way out of this, for anyone who might come to her rescue as stars danced in her head._

 _"So when I finally decided to spice things up and let you run, to enjoy the thrill of a hunt for the first time in years…You don't even give me your best effort?" Just when the blackness nearly consumed her, he relinquished his hold. She gasped, sucking in all the air she could as she stumbled backward, away from him and immediately starting into a coughing fit. em"Oh, sure, take your time," he waved his hand dismissively as she glared at him, all that she could do for the moment. "Catch your breath. Why not?" As her coughing subsided and her breathing returned to normal, she decided to try and get a jump on him, popping up and sprinting away like a madwoman._

 _"Now that's more like it!" she heard his cheer from the pavilion. He seemed to be giving her a head start._

 _With all the adrenaline pumping through her system, she was positive that she was moving faster than she ever had before. It wouldn't be sustainable, but she just needed to get enough distance to lose him. She just needed to make it to civilization and she could duck into a store or call for help. She could see the streetlights and passing cars, and she opened her mouth to let out a shriek, but by then, he was on top of her, covering her mouth and pinning her to the dirt roughly._

 _"Strike two, kid," he growled in her ear. "No screaming. Tonight is just for you and me, so here are the rules, plain and simple: you're going to keep running - QUIETLY - and I'm going to keep chasing until you don't have a drop of energy left in you; until your feet bleed and your muscles tear. And then, when you can't run anymore…" She felt his cold breath on her neck as he inhaled her scent, shuddering. "God…I don't think I'll be able to wait that long…"_

* * *

It wasn't until much, MUCH later that I could see my bed, pillows, and sheets, which I spruced up a bit. As I was about to collapse, however, my stomach let out an enormous gurgle.

"Ugghhh" I complained as well. I should have thought of this sooner. I was starving and didn't have any food in the apartment yet. I was sure Jordan and Colette wouldn't have minded sharing whatever they had in stock, but I just felt wrong taking anything without asking and it was either far too late or far too early, depending on your perspective, to go knocking on their doors.

"I guess I'll be exploring this town a little sooner than I expected' I thought to myself while grabbing a light jacket, my wallet, and my phone. I thought about taking my car keys but decided to walk instead. I would need gas and that just seemed like too much work at this particular moment. Besides, the sun would be peeking over the horizon soon. If this was a dangerous place, I highly doubted any of the baddies would be out at this hour.p

"The walk to the McDonald's was quick, but entirely uphill, much to my dismay, and it left me winded. In fact, I was so exhausted that when the figure launched itself out of the bush at me, I didn't have enough energy left to scream.

"A bit late for a walk, don't you think?" they prodded. Literally. I looked down to see I was being poked at with what might have been the leg of a stool, filed into a fine point.

"I was just grabbing a bite to eat." I held my hands in the air, but my head began to pull to one side with confusion as I started to recognize this person. It was the passerby from earlier in the hallway. What the hell was going on?

"I'm sure you were." They jabbed me again and I slowly began to connect the dots. The blood from earlier, being out late, looking for food…I was on the receiving end of a stake.

"You…Think I'm actually a vampire?" I tried to hold a straight face, but I'm sure it was transparent. I've always been told it was easy to determine what I was thinking just by taking a look at me. "Easy there, Van Helsing. It's nearly sunrise." I pushed the stake away from my chest. "If I emwasem a vampire looking for food at this hour, I would be toast." They narrowed their eyes, still a little skeptical. "So…I'm gonna go…" I sidestepped them and continued on my way to my fast food joint of choice. I could feel their eyes on me until I finally broke line of sight.

"I decided to take a different route on my trip back. Even with the sun well over the horizon, which would prove once and for all that I was not some creature of the night, I had a feeling the wacko from earlier would just find another paranormal entity to accuse me of being. I rolled my eyes.p  
"Maybe that's why everyone seemed so worried when I tried to leave earlier." I thought to myself "Maybe the school is filled with wannabe Buffy's". I couldn't stifle my laugh which came out as a sort of choked snort.

"Although I knew the walk back to my apartment wasn't going to be long, I couldn't resist the smell of food and a nearby bench was calling my name. It wasn't too far away from the road, so I felt safe stretching my legs out and enjoying my french-fries with a side of sunrise. I sighed, blissfully. All the hesitation and terrible thoughts from just a few hours ago felt like they were hundreds of years away. The area I decided to sit was simple, quiet, secluded, and beyond beautiful. The steel bench I sat on, along with its twin, was anchored into a small wood structure which, I discovered, overlooked the Sowwick Valley River. Its banks, along with the pavilion, were lined with leafy trees, green and full of life. It also came paired with a fantastic view of a large, ornate bridge. Painted bright red and strung with lights, it was striking against the gray of the city surrounding me.

"But, all too soon, I was out of food and my eyes were burning with lack of sleep. I yawned, stretched, and gathered my trash. It was time to head home before I fell asleep on my feet. In doing so, however, I caught a glimmer of something on the ground near the river bank. I bent to investigate and brushing aside the crisp leaves of a previous Autumn, I discovered a bracelet. It looked like the seven beads might have been made from shell, three black and four white, with a small black and white bird-like charm dangling from its center. I was sure the trinket was cheap, something no one would miss, and so I slid it around my wrist without a second thought, never to take it off again. I would leave it there as a reminder to myself of today: of new beginnings. Maybe my luck was finally changing.p  
"I decided to linger for just a little longer, gazing into the depths of the lazy river as it sloshed along. My reflection was distorted by small waves and it was difficult to make myself out. I had to laugh - the world seemed full of analogies for my life today. Much like my reflection, nothing seemed to be clear. I couldn't decide how I felt about this move or this place just yet.

"If I _was_ able to see myself in the water below, I would have seen fair, cool toned skin, a heart-shaped face, and wide-set, honey brown eyes, accented with thick-rimmed black glasses. I was often told that my high cheekbones and sharply pointed jaw reminded people of their Eastern European friends and relatives. My hair, naturally wavy and chocolate brown, retained its texture, but not its color. Had it been flowing freely, it would have been apparent that the hair flavor of the month happened to be a strawberry blonde. I wondered what Josh would have to say about it. I wondered what he would have to say about a lot of things going on my life right now. For a moment, I thought I might have seen a face in the water, just above my shoulder. I whipped my head around to check and immediately felt ridiculous. Did I really believe that my dead brother was going to be standing there? By the time I looked back into the river, the face was long gone.

"Aware of the stinging of my eyes again, I rubbed them and became once more convinced that now was the time to leave. It wasn't before long that I found my way to my new room, planting face first into a freshly made bed. There was nothing quite like the smell of clean sheets after a long day. I inhaled the scent, making myself comfortable and attempting to kick off my shoes without sitting up or using my hands. I didn't think I had the energy left in me to change, but I discovered quickly I would need to do something about the window regardless of how lazy I felt. Even with the blinds pulled shut, the sun blared straight through onto my face. For the time being, I repurposed a comforter as a curtain and vowed to purchase something more adequate tomorrow. I was nearing twenty-four hours without sleep and my body had just run out of steam.p  
"When unconsciousness found me, it came bearing strange and vivid dreams of shadows flying high over the city. I was on the phone conducting a call that plagued both my waking and sleeping minds. The instant the other person picked up, they began screaming. The screeches continued until they were cut off, abruptly, by a loud horn. This was typically where my nightmare would end, but I found myself unable to hang up. I could hear breathing, then the line went dead. A bell tolled nine times.

* * *

 _July 31, 1987_

 _The powder blue Ford Fairlane's tires slid a little in the dirt as it came to a full stop and the four boys piled out, clearly in a rush. Two of the individuals, one sandy blonde and the other dark-haired, bounded ahead of the others. They looked like they were prepared for war based on their olive and camouflage garment choices. The blonde in the bright blue collared shirt, clearly the youngest of the group, hung behind to keep an eye on the fourth individual. The curly haired brunette was the oldest by a good few years, probably in his late teens, and appeared to be having some issues walking. As they all scrambled to get to the decrepit stairs, the oldest boy stumbled a little._

 _"Sam," he spoke to the blonde at his side, voice gruff. "If something happens to me…If I don't have the strength to go on, promise me you won't let them hurt Star." Sam swallowed hard, not able to answer. It was clear that this would be something difficult for him to go along with._  
 _As they descended into the caves on the side of the bluff, disregarding the many "No Trespassing" signs plastered around the mouth to the cavern, they were all clearly awestruck by the grandeur of the sunken hotel. No one was certain what they were walking into, but this was nothing close to what they expected. Sam shivered, not sure if it was the ocean spray or the thought of what was coming that made his hair stand on end._

 _"There's got to be a sleeping chamber around here someplace…" The sandy blonde boy began scouring the lobby with the aid of the dark-haired youth and Sam._  
 _The eldest male, on the other hand, bolted directly to one of the back corners of the cavern with a sudden renewed strength. He was relieved to find the curly haired brunette female, close to his age, laying in the out of place bed in a deep slumber. Her face was angelic and he hated to disturb her but knew it must be done. He began to shake her gently._

 _"Star," he whispered. "You're coming with me." She began to stir somewhat, clearly losing a battle against her fatigue._

 _"Michael?" she asked softly, eyes cracking open a hair, but he's already moving again, searching for something. He plucked a floral shawl from a bedpost._

 _"You've got to put this on" Michael pleaded, attempting to wrap her in it._

 _"Take Laddie" was her immediate response._

 _"Huh?" Michael seemed oblivious to anything but this girl._

 _"Save Laddie first" she insisted. Michael glanced over to where the young boy should have been sleeping. Instead, he was surprised to find him sitting up, a look of concern plain on his young face._

 _"Edgar! Sam!" The dark-haired boy called from across the lobby. "You have to check this out!" The two children followed his pointing finger toward an opening in the top of an elevator. "Feel it? Feel the draft?" Edgar shined his flashlight into the darkness, evaluating the potential lead._

 _"It's an opening, all right." He confirmed. "Somebody give me a boost."_

 _"What are you saving me from?" Laddie pressed Michael. It was clear he wasn't going anywhere without an answer._

 _"Laddie, those other guys…" Michael struggled to explain. "They're not good people." Laddie didn't seem to understand what he was saying._

 _"But they're nice to me." He argued. "They let me stay up as late as I want. They say I never have to grow up!"_

 _"Laddie, I don't think you understand…It's not that simple."_

 _"Come on, Alan." Edgar and Sam both offered a hand to the dark haired boy, yanking him up into the darkened shaft. As they began to walk, Sam swatted around his head. A buzzing filled his ears and his skin crawled._

 _"We're on the right trail" Edgar growled, nowhere near as perturbed by the sudden appearance of insects. "Flies and the undead go together like ham and eggs." In response, Alan produced a can of bug spray which he began to shake, covering the sounds of the argument back at the cave entrance._

 _"What isn't that simple?" Laddie demanded. They're my brothers, not you! I don't even know you! Why would I ever trust you over them? You've just caused trouble since you got here!" Michael glanced over at Star, hoping for some backup, but she had already fallen fast asleep once more. _  
_Edgar and Alan grabbed each of Sam's shoulders, yanking him back suddenly._

 _"What?" Sam asked, oblivious of the steep drop off he nearly walked into. Edgar cautiously tipped his flashlight over the edge. The ground at the bottom was littered with skeletons of the past patrons of the hotel, many still wearing the uniforms and outfits they died in when the earthquake hit. The trio bolstered their courage and turned to find a different path through._

 _"Where did everyone else go?" Laddie asked, suddenly no longer interested in insulting Michael. The little boy hopped off the bed attempting to run toward the elevator shaft, but Michael caught his arm just in time._

 _"Laddie," he pleaded. "You're too young. I can't explain. You just have to trust me." The boy only persisted._

 _Sam, Alan, and Edgar found themselves at a large opening in the tunnel. A frigid wind tousled their hair and clothes and the volume of the buzzing increased considerably._

 _"What's that smell?!" Sam plugged his nose._

 _"Vampires, my friend" Edgar confirmed. "Vampires." They all stepped through into the smaller cavern where jagged rock protruded from both the ceiling and the floor. Spider webs and vines that roped themselves between the formations obscured the area further, but from somewhere in the distance, they could all plainly hear the hollow sound of dripping water. They frantically swang their flashlights in search of life. Or, rather, unlife. Another dead end._

 _"I understand just fine!" Laddie gave another futile yank. "You're going to hurt them, aren't you?"_

 _"Of course we're not…" Michael faltered, his lie hanging plain in the air. Laddie's eyes widened. His mouth dropped open._

 _The three spelunking boys, as though linked, slowly began to look up toward the cavern ceiling and all three felt their stomachs begin to crawl into their throats._

 _"I thought they'd be in coffins" Sam muttered, refusing to remove his eyes from the four vampires hanging from the ceiling like some form of human bats._

 _"That's exactly what this place is: one giant coffin." Edgar began to climb toward the living corpses. "Let's stake 'em."_  
 _It was here, just feet away from his target, that Laddie's piercing scream reached their ears. It seemed like he was in the very room with them the way the sound reverberated off the stone walls and within their own skulls. In fact, they were so distracted by the grating sound of the child's screams that not one of them noticed the four sets of yellow, glassy eyes quickly set upon_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Hey, welcome to my first finished fanfic! This chapter kind of feels like a doozy to me. I think I might have made it too long, but what do you guys think? Should I chunk it up in the future? Regardless, I hope you're enjoying this alternate universe adventure so far! Leave a review to let me know what you think!


	2. Leftovers

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did.** _  
_

* * *

 _Warning: This chapter will feature depictions of violence. Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

 _July 31, 1987_

 _Edgar didn't have enough time to get back down to the ground. The curly haired blonde vampire dangling from the ceiling took hold of him as Sam and Alan fled. The pair had enough time to cast one wayward glance back Alan's brother before the creature impaled him upon one of the cave's many stalagmites with a deafening cry. His expression was not one that either would forget easily: pain, anger, fear, betrayal. They had left him to die with hardly a second thought. The others began to fall from the ceiling, obscuring their view. It only pushed the boys to run faster, scrambling down the shaft they used to enter this part of the cave in the first place._

 _"MICHAEL," Sam shrieked. "START THE CAR MICHAEL!" The brunette dropped Laddie's arm without a moment's hesitation, detecting the panic in his brother's voice. He hurried out of the cave to the best of his ability to get things ready._

 _"What did you do to them?!" Laddie stepped directly in Sam and Alan's path, preventing them from making an escape. His face was starting to change into something animalistic, and while they might have brushed him aside before to get to sunlight, they recognized that they weren't entirely certain what the youth was capable of. "What did you do to my brothers?!"_

 _"Get out of my way you goddamn bloodsucker!" Alan roared, brandishing his stake. Sam winced, half expecting the child to lunge at them. What was Alan doing? Did he forget that they were being pursued by four much larger and scarier threats? Sam couldn't stop glancing over his shoulder, convinced a mob of angry vampires would be standing there the next time he chanced a look. They didn't have time for this argument!_

 _At the same time, Sam was recognizing something had clearly and irreversibly snapped within Alan. His tone had taken on an unstable inflection in the way that it wavered and cracked as he screamed that frightened Sam almost equally as much as the monsters they were trapped with. He had become completely unhinged and his carelessness, Sam recognized, could potentially get them both killed. He hoped the young boy would just let them through, but Alan's patience was not going to allow them extra time to find out if he could be reasoned with. For Sam, the next few seconds slowed to a near standstill. He could see what was coming before even Alan did. In fact, he suspected that Alan might not have even realized what he was doing until it was too late. That didn't matter. Nothing could have stopped the stake from coming down, lodging itself in the child's chest._

 _Both Sam and Alan were mortified at first, gaping at each other with eyes wide as saucers, not sure where to go from here. Both were recognizing the potential repercussions simultaneously. Alan's choice had taken them both a step down an irreversible path. But that was when the first spurts of blood hit them, calling their attention back to the matter at hand. The child growled, futilely tugging at the wood lodged in his chest, and Alan seemed shocked that he was still alive. That's what the comic had said, after all - one well-placed stake was all it took and the vampire would be dead instantly. They couldn't have been more wrong._

 _Before Laddie could strike back, and he looked like he was about to, Alan had to make another choice. He grasped the wood with either hand, tugging as hard as he could. The child was knocked off balance by this sudden force and his feet failed him. Weakened due to blood loss,_ _and he crumpled to the cold stone floor, writhing in pain. Alan was on top of him in an instant to finish the job, plunging the stake in again, wedging it as deep as it would go._ _The boy seized up for a moment, but with a final tiny, shuddering sigh, life finally left his eyes. The spurting arterial blood was slowed to a trickle from the decimated organ before stopping altogether. Alan's shaking hand rose to wipe some of the visceral liquid away, but it was futile. His hands were so hopelessly stained crimson that the action only served to smear more across himself. It disturbed Sam how quickly it was all over. He hadn't budged an inch, unable to tear his eyes from the scene. Laddie was dead. Alan had actually killed this kid, and he just stood there and watched it all. This couldn't be real._

 _Alan's shaking hand rose to wipe some of the visceral liquid away, but it was futile. His hands were so hopelessly stained crimson that the action only served to smear more across himself. It disturbed Sam how quickly it was all over. He hadn't budged an inch, unable to tear his eyes from the scene. Laddie was dead. Alan had actually killed this kid, and he just stood there and watched it all. This couldn't be real._ _Sam regarded Alan for some sort of confirmation that this was actually happening, but he was already on the move again, murder clear in his expression like a man possessed. Both knew was coming next._

 _"Alan, what are you doing?" Alan shoved Sam away as he tried to block Alan's path, advancing on the sleeping form of Star. "We just have to kill the head vampire! No one else has to die!"_

 _"We tried things your way!" His nostrils flared with rage. "They killed my brother! Now I'm going to kill them all!"_

 _"No! Please!" But it was too late. Even if he had beat Alan to his goal, Sam wasn't certain that the slayer could have been held back. The second stake found its target faster than on the first attempt, plunging into the chest of the young woman. Sam slammed his eyelids shut, not willing to witness any more death. "Oh God..." He began to whisper to himself over and over. "Oh God..." One was already too much._

 _Star left the world silently, and for that, he was grateful. He could almost block the entire event out altogether. However, Sam realized that in his horror, he hadn't been keeping an eye on the other danger lurking in the caves. Sam's eyes snapped open, darting to the left. Surely enough, there were the four vampires, but they didn't seem poised to attack like he had feared. Instead, the leader's arms extended out to each side of him in a symbolic act of holding the others back. He stared across the cavern, smiling eerily, but Sam realized he was not focused on Alan, Star, Laddie, or even on himself. Their leader was more interested in Michael who now stood at the entrance to the cave, stalk still. He had come back for the two surviving boys, Star and Laddie, realizing they were taking too long. Sam could only assume that he saw the whole thing. Michael's gaze locked into Alan's taking on a shocking yellow tint and Sam's legs turned to jelly beneath him._

* * *

When I realized that the clock read 12:00 pm, I was only amazed that I didn't sleep in any later. It had been almost a full two months since I moved into my apartment and I couldn't say my sleeping habits had improved much from my first nights in Young Haven. Thank the lord for afternoon classes. I would be flunking out by now if I had been expected to attend another eight am class that took attendance. Avoiding getting out of bed just yet, I glanced at the weather and my schedule for the day. A reminder sat on today's agenda to begin studying for midterms among my other class sessions. I could hardly believe that classes were almost halfway over for the semester. Typically I dreaded this point of no return, but I was actually confident my scores would be much higher this year, especially now that I didn't have cheating boyfriends to worry about. Unfortunately, that also meant I had a new distraction _: November._ I sighed, pressing the power button on my phone once to blank out the screen. Begrudgingly, I began to drag myself toward the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

"I thought we were done with this shit," I asked my reflection. I pulled my fingers through the curly mess on my head in an attempt to create a workable look for the day, smoothing out the frizz, and started the mp3 player app on my phone for some background music. It began to softly play and I reminded myself again, with a shake of my head, that I really needed to update my playlists.

* * *

 **The Autumn Effect - Ten Years  
**

* * *

The closer I got to November, the more I thought about Josh. It didn't matter how many years had passed, it's like the wounds became fresh all over again. You see, once upon a time I lived in a normal house with a standard mother and father. I was even lucky enough to have an older brother. We were as happy as any other normal American family could be. However, as I think you've probably gleaned, not one bit of that statement could be considered true when I moved to Young Haven. It was that way once, though, and I held tight to those memories in spite of the pain they caused me.

Maybe it's time glossing things over, but in my opinion, my brother and I had a really amazing relationship. Despite the six-year age difference, despite the arguments and growing into moody teenagers, we stayed the best of friends throughout his life. Well, I guess for most of his life. He was always there to listen when I had a problem in school and to chase away the boogeyman when I was afraid. He was the one who taught me not to be scared of the dark and also the one who showed me my first horror movie when mom and dad told me I wasn't old enough. If we're being honest, I think he helped me get into about as much trouble as he got me out of. I didn't mind.

Josh moved to Young Haven College when I was twelve. We tried to keep in touch through instant messenger sessions and the occasional phone call when our schedules lined up, but it's amazing how far thirty minutes becomes when you're busy. In the end, we never made it out to see him and Josh stopped coming home to visit save for important holidays. Even then I was finding it difficult to recognize my brother. He had changed so much in just two years. At the time it seemed like it took forever, but looking back, I felt like if I blinked I would have missed my freshman year of high school. I was days away from getting my permit and learning how to drive so I could go visit my big brother who promised to sneak me into his house parties and teach me how to be a "proper teenager" who broke the rules and snuck out. I couldn't pretend I didn't want the street cred with my classmates. He always teased me for not challenging our parents more, but someone had to balance out all of his rebellious decisions, be it the motorcycle or the tattoos or the underage drinking. My brother was all sex, drugs, and rock n roll and I was more about reading and playing video games in my jam-jams.

It was late October when things took a turn. Some stupid boy had decided to go and break my heart and I was out for revenge. I don't even remember his name let alone what he did at this point, but what I do remember was that I was hurting and who else would I turn to but my big brother for guidance, comfort, and threats to smash the kid's face in? Joshua hadn't been on AIM in forever, but we had moved onto texting by this point anyway, so I wasn't too concerned about his absence. I figured there had to be some reason he was so difficult to get a hold of – probably school work or some new girl in his life. But then I saw that dumb boy with some dumb girl making out at the mall a week later. Josh missed a few dozen of my calls and finally texted back. He kept promising that he would talk to me soon, it just wasn't a good time right then. It seemed like it was never a good time.

My birthday rolled by and I still hadn't had a conversation with my brother that didn't consist of excuses and promises to talk soon. I was fed up and I didn't know what I had done, so I decided to call him again. And again. And again. He finally picked up, his voice apologetic, telling me he was on a ride and he would call back later. I could barely hear him over the wind and the rumble of his dirt bike. I screamed at him that I was tired of getting blown off and that he needed to talk to me; to just pull over and talk that second. We argued for a while before I heard him scream.

The line went dead. If he had both hands on the handlebars at the time, he might have corrected when he hit the pothole instead of skidding into the path of the oncoming semi-truck.

I hadn't noticed that I found my way to the bathroom floor until I finished recalling all the gory details, specifically the visit to the morgue where the coroner had to explain to my parents that their son was so badly mangled that an open casket funeral would not be possible. I hugged myself tightly as I recounted how the therapists all told me in the years that followed that it wasn't my fault. The look in my parents' eyes was always contradictory. The cops had found his cell phone. They knew I was the last call and that it corroborated with the time of his death. The truck might have been the killing blow, but in the minds of the police and my parents, I set his death into motion even if I wasn't legally at fault.

My parents' marriage didn't survive too much longer after Josh's death. My mother couldn't handle remaining in a place that constantly reminded her of her dead first born son and instead ended up somewhere on the west coast. We weren't exactly on Christmas card terms, so I really didn't know or care what she was doing there. My father, on the other hand, was too proud to leave. He was a big strong man, after all. However, because he didn't physically escape the reminders, he took temporary mental leaves of absence at the bottoms of bottles that eventually caused his kidneys to fail. I didn't feel welcome enough to attend the funeral and I didn't ever find out where he was buried. But, just like that, I was the only bit of the family left where we all became a family in the first place.

"Ugh, just put on some lipstick and pull yourself together," I mumbled, trying to convince myself to start the day while hoisting myself into a standing position. I gave up on my hair, pulling it back into a ponytail like I always ended up doing, hosed myself down with something pretty smelling, and applied the absolute minimum amount of makeup necessary to make myself look human. I snatched my backpack from my room before I could reconsider going to class and, realizing the time, I grabbed a Diet Mountain Dew from my mini fridge on my way out of my apartment. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I did so.

I was immediately met by a certain familiar someone outside my door. I raised my fists in defense and, in turn, they raised their hands to show me they were empty.

"No stakes today," they affirmed. "We've kept our eyes on you. You're not…One of them." It was the vampire slayer from move in day.

"But you need to be more careful," another individual chimed in. I hadn't noticed them at first and so I jumped again. I was getting real tired of the surprise visits.

"Alright, Sam and Dean." I gritted my teeth, clutching at my chest.

"Jack," he corrected, somewhat perturbed. He clearly understood my joke and did not care for it. "Jack and Theo Dart." I took a moment to examine them both a little more carefully through narrowed eyes. The brothers dressed similarly in what appeared to be Doc Martins accompanied by dirtied jeans and red, checkered flannels. Their hair was cropped short, but with enough left to remain choppy. Jack, the individual I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet, had darker hair, a narrow face, and pale skin, contrasting Theo's tanned skin, light hair, and squared jaw. Jack was just a smidge shorter than Theo, but both stood taller than me by a good bit. I highly doubted either of them had actually staked something in their entire lives.

I took a moment to examine them both a little more carefully through narrowed eyes. The brothers dressed similarly in what appeared to be Doc Martins accompanied by dirtied jeans and red, checkered flannels. Their hair was cropped short, but with enough left to remain choppy. Jack, the individual I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet, had darker hair, a narrow face, and pale skin, contrasting Theo's tanned skin, light hair, and squared jaw. Jack was just a smidge shorter than Theo, but both stood taller than me by a good bit. I highly doubted either of them had actually staked something in their entire lives.

"Brenna Wald." I stuck out my hand to shake both of theirs and finish introductions. They kept their arms crossed tight across their chests and I allowed my appendage to fall back at my side, awkwardly, as Theo continued.

"This place is no laughing matter. There is some serious stuff going on here."

"So I keep hearing," I now folded my arms as well. "But, vampires? Come on. Isn't that a little juvenile?"

"Not just vampires. We also have serious reason to suspect..." Jack jabbed Theo roughly in the ribs. I suspected Jack didn't believe I was going to take whatever Theo said next seriously.

"There are things about this town's past. Things you should know now that you're living here." Jack made a series of head gestures that Theo seemed to understand. He produced something from his backpack and shoved it roughly in my face.

"Take this," Theo ordered. "And check out the link. It will tell you everything you need to know."

"Our phone number's on the back," Jack grunted. "Just pray you never have to call us."

"Oookay." I gently took the business card, pocketing it. "I'll _pray_ that I never need to call you." They shook their heads at me, obviously disgusted, and continued down the hallway, whispering among themselves. I tried to move along on my merry way, watching the brothers disappear around the corner before I turned around to leave, but nearly collided with yet another stranger.

"Sorry!" I tried to sidestep them and avoid eye contact.

"Hey, were those guys bothering you?" Shit. I was hoping to skirt by and avoid yet another awkward conversation, but I really wasn't having any luck this day.

"Nah." I hoped my lie would hold when I was forced to make eye contact. Electric blue orbs peeked out from behind some very stylish black and white Ray Ban sunglasses and a curly mop of brown hair. One of his eyebrows was raised. He wasn't buying it. "They're just weirdos. They didn't threaten me or anything. They're just kinda…"

"Creepy?" He took the sunglasses all the way off and smiled. It was dazzling.

"Well…Yeah...Is that too harsh?" I winced.

"No, they've built up quite a reputation around here by cornering one too many girls in dark alleyways." He crossed his arms and I couldn't help but notice the muscles bulge under his black sweater not so subtly. I wondered if he was flexing on purpose. "So, if they give you any more issues, I'm right across the hall." He flicked his head toward the door and I noticed what might have been an earring jingle in his left ear.

"I'll keep that in mind." I decided it would just be wise to just accept the offer, even if I knew I could handle myself fine. He smirked slightly, heading back toward his apartment, and gave me a wave on his way in with a small flick of his wrist. I only realized that I hadn't caught his name after the door swung shut, nothing but the apartment number staring back at me.

"2202" I noted, heading for the stairwell door realizing that now I would almost certainly be late for class at this rate. "Well…It'll have to do for now."

Class for this evening consisted of mostly boring lectures, but I managed to stay productive by working on study guides for my other courses. By the time my last seminar let out, the sun had drifted well over the horizon and it was time to head home so I could stuff my face with the first food I could find in the fridge. It was the day before Halloween and I could already hear someone blasting music from the upper apartment complex building. I was reminded that hadn't gone shopping for a costume yet, but then again I also didn't have anywhere to go. I frowned at this thought, walking past the party and heading straight for my building. However, just outside the side door I typically used, I discovered a young gentleman with a red crew cut laying face first in the grass blocking my path. I rolled my eyes. Someone had started the festivities a little early, it seemed.

"Hey, dude?" I nudged the sole of his shoe with the toe of mine. "You alright there, buddy?"

"He's fine." The voice came from the doorway, a laugh contained within it. "He just needs to sleep off some bad decisions." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding, relieved. I had already been running the scenario through my head in which I would need to call for nine-one-one and was dreading it. Fortunately, that was no longer my responsibility. "But thanks for checking on him," the man continued. "That was very sweet of you." I smiled a bit at the compliment, deciding to look over now and actually see who I was speaking with.

The guy in the doorway had curly blond hair and sported ripped jeans and a very eighties patchy leather jacket. It was retro, for sure, but suited him well as he pushed away from the building he had been leaning against, descending the stairs as he puffed away on his cigarette. On his baby face, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile of his own. He was exceptionally cute.

"I'm Brenna." I tried the handshaking thing again before I was too late, like with 2022, and hoped he had better manners than the Darts.

"Marko," he replied, taking my hand and flipping it over, shell bracelet jangling, to plant a kiss on the back of my hand. "Enchante." He teased with a horrible attempt at a French accent, and I giggled in a way that I was positive sounded utterly stupid. I saw him pause for a second and it appeared that he might have just sniffed my hand. I felt a weird twang in my stomach. "Sorry, are you wearing perfume?" He asked. The minor amount of discomfort melted away immediately and I felt silly for my internal reaction.

"I am, actually. I just picked it up." I was flattered that anyone even noticed.

"It smells like something familiar…" He shrugged. "But it's very nice. Very suiting." His gaze held mine just a moment too long like there was some other meaning he was searching for, but before I could question it any further, he produced something from his pocket which distracted me entirely.

"You smoke?" He offered his pack to me. I hadn't even noticed him put the first one out, but now he was withdrawing another.

"No, sorry." I declined. Why was I apologizing?

"Really?" He seemed surprised. "You seem like the kind of girl who would…Ever try one?" Did I really seem like a girl that would? I felt myself puff up as though I had received some grand compliment.

"Nah." I shrugged.

"You _wanna_ try one?"

"No thanks." I smiled at him. My lips said no, but strangely, I noticed my head bobbing up and down in a sort of "yes" response. "My parents did and it always gave me headaches." What was I even saying? Why did I feel the need to explain myself?

"Suit yourself." He smiled easily, lighting the tobacco. "Some other day."

"Another day, huh," I challenged. I made sure to hurry and swipe my key card to open the door. I needed to make an escape before I lost my cool completely and said something exceptionally stupid. I wasn't exactly what you would consider smooth around cute boys. "You gonna make it a habit of seeing me?"

"Maybe," he smirked, mischief twinkling in his irises. With the hand holding his cigarette at his side, he chewed on the thumb of his other hand coyly. "Goodnight, Brenna."

"Goodnight, Marko," I responded, curiosity alight within my own eyes before I let the door swing shut behind me.

I paused for a moment to collect myself, hiding my face in my hands and trying to vigorously scrub the furious burning sensation from my cheeks. He must have noticed how severely I was blushing. It would have been impossible not to notice. When I decided to move, I continued mentally kicking myself the whole way up the stairs and into the apartment kitchen. I wanted nothing more than to head straight back downstairs, take up his offer for a cigarette and see where it led. I was craving interaction from a human being that didn't involve work or class and the guy was attractive to boot! Aside from my lovely neighbor in 2202, Marko was the only person who took any amount of interest in me that didn't involve my status as a supernatural being outside of Colette and Jordan, and things had been rocky between myself and them lately.

The apartment, I discovered, was quiet as I let myself in, but that was no real surprise. Jordan and Colette were probably spending the night at their respective boyfriends' houses again. I felt a twinge of annoyance for reasons I didn't feel like deciphering and decided, instead, to push everything out of my head that didn't have to do with getting nutrients and glorious, delicious carbs into my stomach. I stuck my leftover spaghetti and meatballs in the microwave for reheating and, when it was finally done, I ventured to my room to begin my favorite nightly ritual.

* * *

 **Illabye - Tipper**

* * *

It was hard for me to admit, considering all the bad memories this city harbored, but this place was finally starting to feel like home. Movie and video game posters decorated my walls and small Funko "POP!" figurines cluttered what surfaces I had left available. I don't think I ever remade the bed from the first night I fell asleep in it, but I did at least replace the comforter on the window with some actual black out curtains which were utterly invaluable. My window was at eye level with the lights in the parking lot and could make the night seem like day. The blanket just wasn't cutting it. I could still smell the remnants of the pumpkin scented candle I lit the previous night and decided to relight it before flicking the TV on. I wasn't sure why I bothered because minutes later I also turned on Pandora to my favorite station before settling into the pillows of my bed to locate a good fan fiction to read while gorging myself on this evening's leftover feast. I was hardly even listening to any of the background noise, but I guessed it helped make me feel like the apartment was less empty. By the time I finished my dinner and began mindlessly consuming Keebler Fudge Stripes, I could already feel my eyelids sliding shut. I probably wasn't making it much further than the second chapter of this story, but my alarms were already set for the next morning if I did drift off. Making sure I plugged in my phone, I just continued reading until I succumbed to sleep, phone still clutched in my hand, music playing softly in the background, snuggling the empty box of cookies.

* * *

I was in a haunted house exploring the hallways and nooks, checking out the different rooms, and enjoying the jump scares, intricate makeup, and costuming. This was a reoccurring dream of mine, so while it might sound like a nightmare to some, I didn't feel bothered or even remotely threatened by it. Though things would pop out, because I knew it came from my own mind, I was never _truly_ surprised when a monster rounded the corner. Furthermore, I knew that they couldn't actually hurt me, either, although I wasn't sure if it was because I actually recognized I was dreaming or because the haunt always followed the major main rule of typical haunted houses: no touching. Well…Except for those few strange dreams where they were allowed to tickle. Those were just odd.

In this particular dream, I was revisiting Disney. Some sort of new ride had just opened in which involved riding in a cart through an animatronics-based haunted house until it dumped the riders into an actual walk-through portion. There didn't appear to be any particular theme to the house in general, it just gave off the vibe of wandering through someone's home which had been invaded by men with chainsaws. Except…Something was different from my usual dream structure. I realized somewhat abruptly that everything was bathed in red light. Maybe it had always been that way, or maybe it had changed at that moment, but it put me off balance on the spot. I just knew that the light was wrong and represented that something had changed in this world. Dream Brenna pushed this aside. I hadn't had a true nightmare in years and so it was easy to get myself to relax and go with the flow, convincing myself that it couldn't happen and this would just turn out to be some new challenge. Unfortunately, soon the dream began to shift even more and it was growing increasingly difficult to ignore.

The transformation was signaled by low, rumbling laughter and the altered mood was practically palpable. I could feel the raw, absolute malice close in on me making my chest constrict and my breaths come in pants. I stopped dead in my tracks suddenly feeling very alone and somehow simultaneously like I was being watched from every perceivable angle. The hallways, with their striped green wallpaper and dark walnut floors, lengthened before me into infinity and recognized that I now stood in the center of some sort of crossroads.

Everything began to spin as I panicked, stumbling into a wall. I wasn't sure which way was the right way to go for once, and that was unnerving. Usually, the plan was so clear in my dreams, or maybe my path was always more linear than I had been lead to assume. This wasn't the case anymore. More cackling coming from an undeterminable direction sent chills running up and down my spine. It seemed like the laughter was reverberating all around me, enveloping me. I shivered. As it can sometimes be in dreams, I could just feel it: the hunt was on. I needed to start moving or they would find me.

I picked up my pace to a brisk walk, continuing to follow the hallway wall straight ahead, but there was no perceivable way out that I could find. The hallways twisted on forever and the lights began to pulse on and off in a controlled pattern. I couldn't shake the feeling that the layout changed with every flicker. The floor tilted in strange angles some places and was completely missing for other sections require me to take leaps of faith. I was being chased, but I was also certain that I was being directed somewhere.

Worse, I could tell the lights were dimming slowly over time. I wasn't sure what would happen when they cut completely, but I was certain it would be bad. As the shadows began to slither around my ankles, I developed the distinct feeling of a mouse trapped in a maze. The laughter resounded as the hallway came to an abrupt end. I could feel their mirth in my very core. Cornered. A hand slid down my arm, but as I twisted to face my captor, I took a tumble. No one was there. I felt another tremor pass through me. It was as though this dream was deliberately breaking my own rules one by one.

" _Brenna,_ " a voice whispered. The wall at my right was no longer bricked up, but opened into a hallway curving out of sight. I turned to make a run for it only to be brought to another halt. It was _him_ , the man with the laugh. In the waking world, the track turned over to something new.

* * *

 **Counting Bodies Like Sheep - A Perfect Circle**

* * *

His hands wrapped themselves around the throat of some pretty blonde thing. His face was monstrous, stained with blood, and eyes like crackling fire, but the terror etched on the blonde's face was somehow more disturbing. It was unforgettable. He reached out with a reddened hand, beckoning me toward him as his frosty blue stare bored into me.

I was, confusingly, torn. Every fiber of my being tensed to turn and run away while a small voice in my head whispered,

 _"Go to him…"_

I swayed slightly before I turned on my heel to flee, but I could hear that he was pursuing. " _Brenna…_ " His voice was in my ear, his breath on my neck and I could smell nothing but copper when he laughed. My stomach lurched. I kept running, but with that dream-like quality where it never seemed that your feet moved fast enough - like I was sinking into a pit of thick molasses.

"Where do you think you can run?" I could no longer feel him pursuing me and I slowed, my feet moving normally again. The lights dimmed considerably more and I came to terms with the fact that I had lost control over this dream. I knew would quickly find myself trapped in a legitimate nightmare if I didn't do something about it.

The hallway began to expand into a foyer, an open room empty and dark save for a lumbering carousel rotating in near silence. I could still hear the creaking of the wood and squeaking of the poorly maintained machinery, but the lack of music was oddly unsettling. As it spun, I squinted, attempting to make out the person standing behind the horses. And, just as they lifted their head to reveal themselves to me, the lights ride's lights extinguished themselves along with any other source of light available to me. I sensed someone too close, chuckling in my ear, lips close to the hollow of my neck. "You should have never come here," they whispered, and I felt the lightest graze of teeth against my skin.

 _'Yes….'_ The tiny voice inside whispered as I subconsciously stretched my neck, allowing him better access.

'No.' My mental voice commanded.

"Now, let's find out what you're really afraid of..."

The rules that I set within my own dream would not be disobeyed. I made the rules and I would enforce them if that was what it took, but this was _my_ domain. In an instant, the lights were back on because I willed them to be, but the figure had already fled. He seemed caught off guard. I turned, catching a glimpse of a shadow as it ghosted out of the room and I was motivated to pursue. The tables had turned once more. In a flash, I was charging after the man until I could no longer feel my feet touching the ground. In fact, I realized that I might be flying. With his hand on a door knob, I finally caught up. I grabbed him by the shoulder and flung him backward, but before I could make another move, he was already up and fleeing again.

It wasn't long before I closed the gap once more. I inched closer and closer, almost pulling him back toward me through sheer force of will and I realized suddenly that I was smiling. It felt good to switch things up and be the aggressor; the "villain" if you will. But, like most of these dreams, I found that the more I tried to control the fantasy, the more awake I became and, before I knew it, with my hand nearly grasping his collar, my eyelids started to drift open.

* * *

"No more pasta before bed." I vowed, turning on my side to seek out sleep again, the remnants of the dream already slipping away as if it had never happened. Except for that girl's face. That would stay with me all night if not for the rest of my life.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Chapter 2 in the books. Woo! And now we're starting to get into some of the darker parts of this story. Hopefully, that wasn't too much for you guys!**

 **I think I'm going to plan to update once a week on Wednesdays, which should give me enough time to finish self-editing this thing. I noticed this chapter, while shorter than the first, is still a little longer than the average story. I'm still trying to decide if it would make more sense to divide these into 3000-word chapters updated twice a week or that's not going to be satisfying enough.**

 **What do you guys think? Let me know in the reviews! Thanks so much to JakkiiSukaru for reaching out and giving me some excellent advice already, and I'd love to hear from more of you! Should I shorten these things and give you more frequent updates? Was the violence too much? Do you like where things are headed? Who do you think is 2202?**

 **Catch you all next week with some answers!**

 **\- A**


	3. Crandall

My phone's buzzer alarm blared in my ears. Thank God it was Thursday. Due to some really good planning on my part, this was actually the end of my week. I somehow managed to keep from scheduling any classes or work on Fridays meaning I consistently received three day weekends. I just had to make it through this day and then I would be free. Unfortunately, this was also a work day meaning that I needed to be up at an ungodly hour of the morning (for me, anyway) and I would also be busy well into the evening.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I pushed my bedroom door open to mosey into the bathroom to begin my morning rituals but stopped to examine something which was fluttering to the floor. It seemed like nothing special, a plain piece of printer paper roughly torn from its original sheet. However, I noticed just before tossing it in a trash bin that scrawled across this careless stationary was neat, tight cursive script in black ink. It didn't resemble either of my roommates' handwriting.

"Halloween party tonight at Crandall. Be there." It was simply signed, "- Marko." Odd. He didn't strike me as the cursive sort, but thinking back on his fashion choices, he was a little eccentric. Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised.

A more confusing thought struck me then: how did he get the note into the apartment at all? I imagined Jordan or Colette probably found it on the front door and, in turn, stuck it to mine. After all, they were already at their morning yoga session together according to my Facebook feed, so they were awake before me. However, that still didn't answer the nagging question of how Marko found my apartment at all. I shrugged. He could have asked around, I supposed. Maybe _someone_ around here actually knew who I was.

The invitation listed an address along the bottom edge of the paper which I wasn't terribly familiar with, but everyone knew what and where Crandall was. Named after the street the house resided on, it was THE party house of the semester. From the three-story beer bong to the parties that needed more than 48 hours to wrap up to the regular furniture bonfires in the front yard, the cops paid the place a visit on a bi-weekly basis minimally. Anyone who was anyone hung out at Crandall on the weekends. You just needed to know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who lived there to snag an invitation and get your name on the guest list. I, apparently, now did. A smile began to light up my features and I bit my lip softly. _I_ was actually invited. I had convinced myself I didn't want to be on the guestlist for stupid college parties, but I had a suspicion that was a defense mechanism I developed against not being included. I tucked the piece of paper under a Freddy Krueger figurine for safe keeping and darted out the door before I was late.

I was grateful that the work day flew by for once. The department I worked in at the school was empty – everyone had taken the remainder of the week off - and all I could think about was what I would wear that night. I was basically a glorified answering machine, so it wouldn't be out of the question to spend my entire day pulling ideas together on the internet. All I had to do was make sure I answered the phone when it rang, took down a message, and placed it in the right mailbox. Unfortunately, even with all this time on my hands, I wasn't having many creative thoughts. I sighed as I reached the end of another Pinterest search. I didn't have the time or the money to go out and buy a costume let alone make an attempt at crafting one, so I would just have to work with what I had on hand in my wardrobe and from previous years. I brainstormed a few ideas and wrote them down, crossing concepts off throughout the day for one reason or another until only one was left.

'Well,' I thought to myself, 'It's cliché, but it'll do.' I set to work the moment I got back home, rushed and only able to work off some sketches I made. I powered up my hair straightener to allow it time to warm up and began ripping clothes out of my closet, piling them onto my bed until I located the red dress I purchased as an early birthday present to myself. It was deep burgundy and long sleeved with delicate black, pointed lace lining the cuffs. The top was a deceivingly conservative sweetheart neckline while the skirt reached my knees. It laced up the back, corset style, as did the cleavage in the front of the dress allowing me to be as risque as I felt comfortable with. I opted to leave it mostly tied until I saw what everyone else decided to wear.

It took a few tries to actually get the dress on (seriously – how are you supposed to lace a corset by yourself?) but once it fit right, I was able to straighten my hair. I was never particularly skilled at hair styling and usually left that task to Jordan, but she had left with Colette as I was getting in, so that option was out. I pursed my lips thinking back on it. I had been really bothered by how they hardly acknowledged me as I held the door for them on their way to…Who even knew. Jordan may have been my friend the longest, but it was growing ever clearer that Colette was the closer friend. They were both in the same program, shared similar schedules, participated in the same hobbies, and had lived together for the past few years. It hadn't been so obvious when there was a distance between Jordan and me because when one of us visited the other, her attention was solely on myself. But, now that I was closer and she could see me whenever she wanted, Jordan was forced to split time between Colette and me and it was painfully clear who was winning the tug of war. Despite their efforts to make me feel included, every inside joke between the two of them drove the wedge a fraction deeper.

Maybe I was just being jealous...Regardless, the shittiest part of the whole situation was that it wasn't like I had anyone else around here to divert my attention to when I was snubbed. Most of my friends in Azuline were also friends with my ex so, to avoid creating an awkward situation for either themselves or me, I decided to cut contact with all of them when I left. That way they wouldn't get stuck in the middle of a messy breakup and I wouldn't have to hear anything else about Ethan and the bitch of an ex-friend he was sleeping with now. As for my new school, the same thing ended up happening in a way. After Jordan broke it off with Will, I felt marginally uncomfortable hanging out with him, his brother, and his circle, just in case she found out and got mad or something. Beyond this, every time I started to reach out to join a club or make new friends, I found myself withdrawing even further into myself. It took me a while to realize it, but all along it was because I was terrified of stumbling into something that had to do with Josh.

Anyway, long story short, my social life was non-existent and I had no one to turn to when I needed a hair stylist. I figured I would need to let my makeup do the talking. Fortunately, that _was_ my strong suit. I painted my eyelids smokey black and my lips ruby red in addition to the rest of my full face of makeup: eyebrows, contouring, and a shade of foundation just a hair lighter than my normal skin tone. Then, the piece that would pull it all together. I withdrew the small coffin-shaped container from my desk drawer and removed from inside the custom fitted Scarecrow fangs from a Hot Topic purchase in my middle school days. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized they still fit, surveying myself in the mirror.

"Damn…" I whispered. It had been so long since I had actually done my makeup and gone out. It was kind of a shock to see what I looked like with everything on. I felt kind of sexy...It was then I caught sight of the fangs and my new-found confidence was punctured.

"This is ridiculous," I grumbled before baring my teeth, poking at the canines, contemplating pulling them out. I had felt so certain about the idea at the office, but now… "Vampires. So overdone." I trilled my lips and I checked my phone. Did I really _need_ to be a vampire? Or anything, for that matter? Some girls just wore the skimpiest thing in their closet and pretended it was a costume. Could I get away with that?

It turned out that I wouldn't have time to make that decision if I wanted to make it to the party in time to be fashionably late. I needed to get going. Despite my second guessing in front of the mirror, I had a really good feeling the night was going to go my way and I tried to give myself an internal pep talk while applying two pinprick bite marks with some eyeliner just above my black, beaded choker. It was the only jewelry I wore beyond my usual black and white shell bracelet and some red teardrop earrings. I rolled some black stockings over my legs and slid into my favorite pair of combat boots to finish the costume. Standing before my full-length mirror, I nodded a final approval at my reflection, assuring myself one more time that I looked fantastic.

I made sure I was on my way to the car before I could rethink what I was about to do, practically jogging all the way, fingers fumbling as I plugged the address into my phone. I couldn't tell if I was terrified or excited - both, probably. I glanced up just in time to see 2202 pulling out of a parking spot on a red motorcycle. He waved at me on his way past and I vaguely wondered if we were both headed in the same direction. It would be nice to see a friendly face there if I couldn't find Marko. I waved back with a smile, simultaneously bringing up some music on my Accord's stereo. The beat came thumping through my speakers as the wheels turned against the pavement, but I had already lost him.

* * *

 **In the Darkness (Tech Mix) - Darude**

* * *

 _"You…  
_ _Everytime you go  
_ _You leave my heart alone  
_ _I flow in the darkness"_

This particular tech remix of an old Darude song never failed to get me pumped up. I sang along, drumming on the steering wheel a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much time for pregame music as I hoped. The party was a lot closer than I expected and it threw me off somewhat. I felt my heart flutter with nerves as I actually passed the house. I couldn't believe how packed the street was…Or how far I would have to walk. Alone. At night. I frowned. I hadn't felt uncomfortable in this town yet, but Jack and Theo's words kept ringing in my ears.

 _"This place is no laughing matter..."_

I shook them out of my head. When would I ever get a chance to do this again? I needed a night out.

 _"You…  
_ _Every time in vain  
_ _You fill my mind with pain  
_ _I flow…"_

I parallel parked the car and brought it to a final halt. The street was well lit and I assured myself I would be fine with all the people around. Despite powering off the car stereo, Darude still echoed in my head keeping my spirits high. I tried to keep from curling into myself, shuddering in the cold, and to walk as confidently as possible. I had to leave my coat in my car and contemplated where exactly I could shove my keys, wallet, and phone. Maybe in one of my boots?

 _"You…every time you go…"_

I would feel better when I was inside, I was sure of it. But…What if I couldn't find anyone? I was already on the porch, the smokers outside giving me a side-eye while someone checked my name against a list. While waiting for the bouncer to clear me, a lump began to rise in my throat. Was it that obvious that I didn't belong here? What if this was some sort of prank and I wasn't really invited? It still wasn't too late to turn around...

"Go ahead in," The towering gentleman announced gruffly, opening the door for me. "Enjoy." I tried to return his confident smile, but I think what came out was likely closer to a grimace.

Stepping through the threshold I was immediately slapped with thumping base followed immediately by an overpowering stench of stale beer and fog machine smoke. I was also physically pushed off balance by a much taller man in a banana costume knocking into me. He appeared to be my age or maybe a little older. Standing across from him, shaking out his hand, was a sophomore dressed in a Superman shirt under a white button down. I could only guess that the sophomore must have been starting a fight with the banana. I tried to get out of the way before things got any worse but, to my great confusion, the upperclassman didn't attempt to hit back as he rose to full height - he shook the underclassman's hand and smiled. Did I hear him say thank you? What planet was I on?

My boots stuck to the floor as I tried to push through the crowd and away from the crazy and I thanked myself for deciding to wear something sensible on my feet unlike most of the other girls in the room. A lot of them were sloppy already, hanging over guys and sloshing their drinks onto an already well-coated floor. A few individuals dangled their heels in their hands and I couldn't help but cringe at their bare feet. Did they have any idea what they were stepping in? Regardless, as I checked out the other guests, another nearly crippling wave of self-consciousness hit me. Everyone, men and women both, wore much less clothing than me. I wondered if it was even clear that I was in costume, to begin with. I scanned the room for the curly mop of blonde hair that invited me here as I tugged on the laces covering my cleavage, trying to loosen them. Without guidance or any understanding of the layout, I wandered toward the stairs to what I assumed was the basement. _It seemed like the right place to go._

 _"I flow…in the darkness…"_

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What are you doing here?!" I barely had a moment to register who it was before I was pulled into a hug. It took me several solid seconds to recognize him when he stepped back. Gone was the nerd from sophomore year. Once he lost a paltry amount of baby weight and outgrew the acne, he had turned into a ladies' man, it seemed, with his rectangular face and squared jaw. By the looks of things, I guessed he never managed to grow out the beard, unfortunately for him.

"Will!" I returned the squeeze.

"I thought you ' _didn't do parties_ '?" He quoted, still holding me by the shoulders. My eyes darted over his shoulder to the stairs again. "Are you feeling ok? This is very not you."

 _"I flow…"_

"Never been better, actually," I smiled, hoping to hide my nervousness. I could tell he was only teasing. "I'm really happy I came out. I've been cooped up a bit too long." He clapped me on the shoulder, clearly happy with my response.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it! Come on, I'll introduce you to some people!" He led me to a more secluded area with couches and some individuals I recognized as William's friends, including his brother, Philip. Their costumes didn't make a whole lot of sense apart, but I now realized that the brothers were dressed up as basketball players. I joined them in their circle around what I recognized as a hookah and tried to get comfortable in the quite dilapidated piece of furniture. Not only was my seat lumpy and cramped, but I also felt antsy. I was not at all sure what to do with myself now that I was finally attending a "real" party. I didn't know what the script was for the situation. Shouldn't I be grinding on someone or something? William jolted me from my thoughts with a nudge, offering me a joint. I shook my head, politely declining, but took it to pass on.

 _"I flow…in the darkness…"_

"You know," I initially thought it was William talking, but when I turned and noticed his lips weren't moving, I realized the voice was coming from behind me. "A little birdie told me that you didn't smoke." Marko stood over me, nodding down at the lit blunt.

"Oh, uh…" I quickly handed it off to the person on my left. "I was just-" He laughed, not unkindly, and I couldn't help but notice a blackened tooth. Taking in more of his appearance, I also discovered a feathered hat had been added to his eclectic outfit from yesterday. My guess was that he was dressed as some sort of pirate.

"I'm kidding," he assured me. "No judgment! It's a free world! I'm just glad you came!" I noticed then that Marko wasn't alone. Along with him, he brought a crew of four. They were dressed as Tarzan, an 80s hair metal band member, possibly Zoro, and what might have been a biker although it was difficult to determine if the last one was actually a costume or something he picked up off his floor this morning. It was very befitting of him.

"Brenna, I presume?" The rocker reached out a hand, pulling me to my feet. I nodded, dumbly. One cute boy and I lost control of my speech, and now there were four of them staring at me. I was completely boned. "A pleasure." He gave a low bow, kissing my hand much like Marko had the previous night and I couldn't help but giggle because, frankly, that was all I was capable of. I thought I might have seen some heads swivel, but I must have imagined it. The only person I found staring at me was Twisted Sister, although some of the others suddenly looked like something foul had been shoved under their noses. I felt self-conscious again. Had I done something wrong?

"A vampire?" The biker scoffed. Oh. _That._

"I know, I know," I rubbed the back of my neck. "Overdone. Played out. Cliché." I shrugged. "It's all I had in my closet."

"Mm." He eyed me, and I felt myself shift under the intensity of his stare. I restrained myself from trading insults and commenting on his choice of attire, but only barely. "Feel like introducing the rest of us?" He directed at the pirate, boredom apparent in his tone.

"Brenna, I would like to introduce you to David," the biker. "Paul," the band member. "Dwayne," Tarzan. "And Jay" Zoro. "Gentlemen, Brenna." They nodded in turn, grunting out responses, but I could already see their attention turning to other conquests. That was fine by me, or so I tried to tell myself. So far they mostly seemed like a bunch of assholes - a bunch of assholes that I desperately now felt the need to prove myself to. Ugh. I was an absolute slave to peer pressure.

"So, I've never seen you around." Marko hopped over the back of the couch with ease to plop beside me, perching on an arm of the sofa. "New here, or just don't come to parties?"

"Both," I admitted. "I'm a transfer student and I typically don't come out for stuff like this. It's...Not really my scene."

"So you came out just for me?" He noted. "Well, I _am_ flattered." I rolled my eyes as he batted his lashes.

"Deflate your ego there, bub. I came out tonight because…" I struggled to find a reason. Why did I come out to this party other than to see him? "I felt like I needed to get out." It wasn't a total lie, but it sounded incredibly weak anyway. I wasn't off to a great start.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." He winked, starting to chew on his thumb.

"So, you brought the booze, right?" Paul leaned against the back of the couch, closer to me.

"No, sorry." Shit, was I supposed to? Is that the whole reason he invited me? Of course it was. I should have seen this coming...

"Damn!" Paul snapped his fingers. "We missed the BYOB memo too. Dude at the front door was talking about a beer tax. Totally bogus." I wasn't exactly following, but he didn't seem actually upset, so that was good. "Oh well. I'm sure we can find some way to entertain ourselves. Especially with a babe like you around..." His voice dropped a little at the end. I hadn't noticed how close our faces were until Paul's jolted suddenly to the left.

"Dude!" Marko, I realized, had given him a quick jab to the shoulder. "I just convinced her to hang! You're gonna scare her off!"

"Oh, he's fine!" I chimed in with a partially forced smile, trying to dispell some of the weird tension I was catching between the two. "Really! I'm just...Ok, I'll be honest, I've been off the market for a while and I've completely forgotten how to behave around boys I don't know." As I had hoped, pulling the blame onto myself seemed to calm both boys down.

"Pfft," Paul waved his hands a bit, walking around the couch. "That's easily fixed." I cringed a little as he began to fold his legs to sit on the floor. It wasn't coated with a thin layer of beer like other parts of the house, but who knew when they had cleaned it last. "We're gonna play a game called Never Never Have I Ever. You game, girl?"

"Sure, but I should warn you. I always win..."

Paul, of course, did not believe me. However, several rounds later, he was starting to understand.

"You've _never_ climbed a tree?!" Marko was incredulous as I won my second game in a row. "Did you even _have_ a childhood?"

"I warned you," I laughed. "I always win this game!"

"Never been to a circus, never read Dr. Seuss…I won't stand for this! This is an outrage!" Marko stood and I pulled him back down into his chair, laughing. "We need to fix this immediately," he insisted.

"Okay, okay. But it's your turn," I reminded him. He crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze at me and sitting forward, scrunching up his face. I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled this much. My cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Never have I ever...Had a threesome."

"Oh, come on!" Paul shoved Marko from the loveseat diagonal to us. Will, Phil, and the rest of their group had vanished a while ago and Paul moved to take their place. I hadn't noticed they even left until Paul moved. "This game is rigged! Fine, never have I ever…" A small smile began to grow on his face as he stared down Marko. "Never have _I_ ever had to ask someone if we screwed before because _I wasn't sure_." I glanced between the two clearly missing out on some sort of story. It was so easy to listen to them talk - they were both fascinating and had experienced so much. I, apparently, had been living under a rock for the past twenty years.

"You've totally forgotten if you banged a chick or not!" Marko snapped back.

"Yeah, but I've never actually ASKED THE GIRL!"

"Never have I ever watched Star Wars?" I asked quickly to try and diffuse the situation. In addition to Will's group, Jay had left the party a while ago and David disappeared downstairs. The bickering between Paul and Marko seemed to have forced them out. Dwayne still hung around, though, as the ever-silent observer.

"Oh, shush," Marko flapped a hand at me as both put up another finger to indicate their score. "We know, we know – you have no life." He directed his attention back to the other blonde. "Never have _I_ ever decided to have sex while other people were STILL IN THE ROOM!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I've never…" Paul cut himself off mid-sentence, glancing over at my hand and then doing a double-take. "Hold the phone. Brenna only had two fingers up a second ago, didn't she?"

"I believe she did…"

"Why, _Brenna_!" He held a hand over his heart in mock shock. "Innocent little Brenna! I believe we judged you too soon!"

"What?" I crossed my arms, looking away from the two and attempting to hide a blush. "I said I didn't have a childhood, not that I was a _virgin_. I've done…Things…" I didn't like the way they were looking at me, so I found myself avoiding eye contact.

"Oooh…" Paul rubbed his hands together. "This opens up a whole new WORLD of possibilities. Never have I ever…Hey!" I hadn't noticed my vision was locked onto the basement steps again until Marko started snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"Alright, alright. You've been looking over there all night. Wanna dance?"

"Sure!" I surprised myself with the speed of my answer and was even more confused to find myself standing before I felt like my brain had fully sent the signal to my legs. I didn't even know how to dance. What the hell was I doing? Regardless, we slipped downstairs and into the writhing mass of bodies.

* * *

 **Skrillex - Ease My Mind with Nikki and the Dove**

* * *

I normally wouldn't feel comfortable with this at all, but with Marko and Paul I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't the typical grinding and wasn't even remotely erotic aside from a couple of interesting moves performed between the two boys. I attempted to move my limbs in a way that might be considered dance-like, but as Paul quickly pointed out, I looked stiff. Mostly I stuck to waving a few glow sticks around that I had caught and doing a sort of two step with my feet. There were a surprising number of glowsticks, actually. Every time an EDM song hit a big drop, the air was full of them.

"You're doing it all wrong," he yelled over the music, motioning for me to come closer to him. "You gotta loosen up! Come here, you don't know what you're doing." He twirled me around to face away from him, one hand encircled each of my wrists as he seemingly shook me out. He began to pull my hands over my head. "Just leave these here. It doesn't matter what you do with them as long as they're up there, but _anything_ is better than what you were just trying." I turned to glare at him but did as he said, jumping as I felt his hands grip my hips once my arms were supporting themselves. " _This_ is the important part. It's all in the hips." He tried to sway me lightly, but my body didn't seem to be responding to the signals from my brain.

"What about my feet," I questioned, trying in vain to roll my hips the way he was trying to make me move.

"Just _relax_ ," He pulled me closer, pressing my body against his as he tried to make me move with him. "And do what comes naturally."

It was like my joints had rusted or something in the way they just didn't move with his at first, but all at once, as though a switch were flipped, I was actually following along.

" _Now_ you're getting it," Paul released my hips and nudged me toward Marko. Giving him a saucy look, I strolled right up, trying my new moves out. To my delight, he seemed to be responding for a minute. However, as I whipped my head and hair and my vision focused back on Marko, I realized he had completely stopped dancing. He was looking just over my head, staring at something across the room, one hand over his mouth, biting a knuckle to try and hold back his laughter.

"What?" I stopped moving and tried to follow his line of sight, eventually locating a very displeased David with someone _literally_ hanging off of him. She hardly looked coherent and appeared to be in danger of ruining his shoes with her stomach acid.

"Hold on, I got this." I pushed my way over, smoothly sliding an arm through David's while simultaneously pushing the drunk away. I leaned into him heavily, placing a hand on his chest.

"Hey baby," I purred. "I thought you said you weren't coming out tonight." I hoped my soap opera acting was bad enough to tip him off, but not so exaggerated that the girl would notice through her intoxication. Thankfully he caught on quickly, wrapping his free arm around me. At least, I hoped he understood that I was acting...

"The same could be said for you." He smirked. I hadn't anticipated the reaction my body would have as he turned his icy gaze on me. Goosebumps took over every inch of my skin despite the actual temperature of the room. With all the bodies packed in, it felt like it was 300 degrees. I almost lost my cool demeanor. His eyes reminded me of something…

"Who the hell is this," the girl slurred, but I paid her no mind, swallowing hard in the hopes of forcing my heart back into where it dislodged itself from.

"What do you say we cut to the chase and go somewhere a little more…Private" I shot a glare over at my "competition" to break his gaze and the spell it seemed to have over me. I took David's gloved hand and began pulling him through the crowd. I didn't understand how he could be wearing so many layers in the packed basement.

This was all an act I had developed while rescuing friends at parties at Azuline. However, as I neared the front door, I began to very clearly remember that this was not my old school and David wasn't someone I felt comfortable calling a friend. Furthermore, the girl was still toddling up the stairs after us. We had to sell the deception if she was going to leave him alone. I pulled him the rest of the way out of the front door, pausing at the corner of the house, hoping I wouldn't have to take this any further. I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to making out with David, but something in the pit of my stomach decided it wasn't a great idea. Fortunately, it soon became clear she wasn't following us anymore. I let out the breath I had been holding and turned to David, immediately regretting my decision. His intense stare smoldered under the sodium street lights.

"So, approximately how much of that would you consider to be bullshit," he asked, a smirk etched into his face.

"Like…ninety-five percent?" I grimaced. "Nothing against you! I just…Don't know you. That's all. Sorry?" The apologies tumbled out of my mouth like word vomit. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his leather jacket, lighting one with his zippo in a smooth motion. If he was bothered, it didn't seem to be showing.

"Smart," he commented. "It's not safe to trust strangers around here so quickly. Not with all the people going missing."

"People going missing?" I repeated. I was bad at keeping up with local news, but I figured I would have caught wind of something this serious.

"You haven't heard about Jade Vishali?" David gestured his head at a telephone pole behind me and I turned to find it covered in missing person fliers. My stomach dropped at the number of different faces staring back at me. However, one profile, in particular, stood out. It wasn't just because the paper was less weathered than the others – I hadn't even noticed that at the time – but because I had the inexplicable feeling I had seen this blonde haired girl before. A few memories were filtering back from somewhere…Something about red lights…

"Forget about that loser. You wanna get out of here with _me,_ toots?" I was thankful that Paul interrupted my train of thoughts. They were making me uncomfortable. In contrast, everything about being around paul was easy. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I slowly realized what, exactly, he was referencing.

"Jesus, did everyone in the room hear me?" I buried my face in my hands. "I thought I would have been safe with how loud the music was!"

"Nah," he slung an arm around my shoulder. "Only most of them. But I was serious about getting out of here seeing as you and David can't really go back, and that's no fun for either of you."

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I kinda just met you guys. I'm not really sure how I feel about going somewhere alone with all of you just yet." I glanced back at the telephone pole again.

"So, bring a friend?" Marko, who had been trailing Paul, shrugged.

"I don't know…It's pretty late..."

"But we really want you to come with!" Paul whined. I looked to David for affirmation but found none. He still giving me that odd stare.

"Pleeeaaaase?" I heard Marko continue on the other side of me giving me his biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes. "Pretty, pretty, pleeeeaaaaase?"

"You're such a child, Marko," I accused playfully, pulling out my phone. After checking the time, I realized that it was considerably earlier than I anticipated and my argument was sounding weak even to me.

"I just need to be back by 1:00" I conceded.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll have you back before your carriage turns into a pumpkin…" I heard the eye roll in Paul's voice as he began dragging me away. I looked back at the telephone pole one more time. Something wasn't right.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Aaaaaand that concludes Chapter 3! Who is Jade Vishali? Where are the boys taking Brenna? And who was that fifth boy? Hmmm... Let me know with a review!**

 **A HUGE thanks goes out to JakkiiSukaru and ShiplessOceans for your kind words in your reviews. It's really appreciated and I love hearing from you!**

 **My next update should be Wednesday, as planned, so see you all next week with Chapter 4!**

 **\- A**


	4. Alive - Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I just desperately with that I did.**

* * *

"You know when you said carriage…" I suddenly wasn't so sure of myself, staring at the intended ride Paul brought me to. I couldn't stop the images of Josh's mangled corpse and the resulting crime scene from flashing before my eyes in a rapid, unwanted slideshow. With time, the pictures themselves had worn away becoming vague representations of the reality, but the feelings that accompanied them had aged like wine - the flashbacks became more potent and acrid with each passing year. My stomach lurched and I tried to force it all out of my head as quickly as possible before anyone noticed how badly I was affected, replacing that nightmarish night with memorizing the current details of Marko's face. I realized as I analyzed the wrinkles in his forehead that it appeared he had asked me a question.

"Sorry, what was that?" I tried to keep my tone even and I felt blood rush into my cheeks.

"I asked if you had ever ridden before? You don't seem like the type, but..."

"I, ah...No. I have no idea how to ride." I could feel the heat in my face burning brighter with every passing second. It seemed like I always felt embarrassed around Marko and his friends. They just had a way of making me feel so…Innocent. Like I was some sort child next to them. I despised it. "But my brother used to," I managed to croak out through the sudden constriction of my throat. I added a little cough to the end of my sentence to try and conceal the discomfort and redoubled my efforts to wedge my feelings somewhere deep down inside me where I could deal with them later. Not now.

"Come on," Paul mounted his bike, nodding to the back of it. "I'll be gentle for your first time." My cheeks, if it was possible, seemed to heat up even more. I was getting really tired of blushing but, hopefully, my makeup was covering for me. I couldn't let them see me weak. I had a strong feeling they would practically eat me alive.

"Why, you're such a gentleman, _Paul_!" My voice had noticeably raised in pitch as I attempted to disguise my embarrassment behind a thick wall of sarcasm, so I was only half successful. As I started to strut in Paul's direction, I hit send on my fourth or fifth text for the night. Jordan and Colette declined on meeting up, but that wasn't really a surprise at this point. They were always too busy for me these days. Phil and Will were too trashed to drive or they said they would have been happy to tag along. I determined I would have to start really digging through my contacts list to find someone willing. Finally, as I reached the motorcycle, my phone emitted the familiar "ding" of a received text. Someone had _finally_ said yes.

"Hey, you're already doing much better than most people," Marko assured me. He led me to the left side of the bike, helping me on and taking my phone and wallet to stow in a pouch on the side of the bike. "You came somewhat prepared!" He was probably talking about my combat boots. I made to get on the bike in the most logical way for me by putting my first foot on a metal bit but was immediately stopped. "Woah! Feet off the pegs!" I placed that foot back on the ground and tried to simply swing a leg over the bike, but that wasn't really working out for me either. I just didn't have the height the boys did. With a laugh, Marko helped guide my foot."Ok, _now_ feet on the pegs." He instructed once I was sitting down. I was exceptionally grateful I chose opaque tights for the evening as I tried to tug my skirt a little lower.

* * *

 **Alter Bridge - Cry of Achilles  
**

* * *

"Alright, here's the rules," Paul leaned back to speak more clearly. "Don't take your feet off those pegs unless I tell you and slap me if you start to have a freak out so I can pull over and you don't kill us both." Marko, David, and Dwayne were all getting on their own bikes and I looked around. I wondered if Jay would be showing back up and where he had disappeared to in the first place. I tried to mimic how the remaining boys sat. "Relax! You have the easiest job of all. Just don't move from this position and, seriously, keep your feet on the pegs. I wouldn't want your piggly wigglies getting ground off on the road."

"What about leaning," I asked. "I thought I was supposed to lean?"

"Just follow me. Go with the flow!" Paul made a hand movement and suddenly he very much reminded me a surfer, regardless of his Halloween costume. I wondered if he came from a coast somewhere. He looked like he might fit in with the Cali crowd. I would have to ask at some point. "Oh, and one more thing…" He reached back, grabbing both of my hands and pulling them around himself. "Don't let go!" I knew he was trying to make me uncomfortable, but I was always one to take a joke too far. I scooted myself even closer, tightening my hold and pressing more of myself against him.

"I'll never let go, Jack!" I was trying to remain as serious as I could be, but I couldn't keep my mouth from twitching just a slightly.

"You ready, girl?" The bikes were roaring to life all around me, including Paul's. I hardly gave a nod, I wasn't even sure if he saw me, and we were off. The bike moved slowly at first as we navigated out of the neighborhood, giving me time to adjust, but the panic was already hammering at the back of my brain. "You better not have those eyes closed back there!" He hollered at me, and I begrudgingly pried them open, very grateful for my glasses. "You'll ruin all the fun!" I didn't understand how Paul planned on keeping his eyes open in all this wind, and it was bound to get worse.

When we were finally out of the winding neighborhood, and once we hit the open road, the boys gunned it. I let out a yell, not of my own accord, but initial fear was rapidly replaced and soon a smile was plastered on my face as adrenaline flooded my veins. I immediately understood Josh's obsession with his bike and was furious with myself for not trying this out sooner.

"Oh my god!" I yelled.

"You called?" I could barely make Paul's voice out over the rushing air and I thought about smacking him, but I didn't want him to think I needed him to pull over and I also didn't want to get us killed.

"Fuck! This is amazing!" My hair whipped in the wind, certainly tangling it, but that was the last thing on my mind.

Now that we had been cruising at the same speed for a bit and the initial excitement died down some, it felt like I was bathing in some sort of afterglow and I melted into Paul. As I did, I realized that Marko and Dwayne were almost flanking me as guards. They seemed happy, albeit marginally bored, leading me to suspect that they were riding safer for my sake. David was just ahead of the pack, taking the lead. It suited him and I couldn't picture things any other way. His gaze snapped to mine from over his shoulder and I had to force myself not to jerk away as they pierced me. I just smiled lightly, laying my head against Paul's shoulder and diverting my gaze to watch the landscape fly by. The sky was beautiful this far into the country, blanketed with the shimmer of stars.

We arrived at our destination far too soon for my liking, the bikes rolling to a smooth stop in the parking lot. Marko was at my side in what seemed like an instant, coaching me off. I didn't move, just like Paul requested. Dwayne and David pulled up beside us but idled rather than cutting their engines. Regardless, I could still already hear the attraction's organ music playing in the distance.

"You enjoy that, Brenna?" David called. I didn't quite have my words collected at that moment and a few of the boys catcalled at me. I couldn't be sure which ones because I felt the need to hide my face in my hand instantaneously. My stupid grin still showed through and with my free hand, I waved them away.

"Maybe you fit in better with us than I thought." Paul nudged me in the ribs forcing me to finally drop my hand so I could cross my arms and regard him. "Look at you! You're just a leather jacket away…"

"I think it's _much_ more than that" I laughed, shaking my head. Yet, suddenly, I really wanted that jacket...

"Come on, Brenna!" David called my attention back to him. "How far are you willing to go?"

 _'As far as it takes…'_ The thought had come and gone before I fully recognized it. His smile was Cheshire, distracting me.

"We're gonna take off," he addressed Paul next who leaned in to have a brief conversation I couldn't hear.

"Left side, never the right" Marko instructed, pulling me off the bike and my attention away from the apparently secret conversation. "Unless you want some awesome scars." I nodded, dismounting. The others were already gone by the time I turned around again and I was grateful for that. My legs were jelly and I very nearly tumbled ass over teacup into Marko.

Once feeling a little more balanced, I began to run my hands through my hair, trying to tame my mane. It was hopeless. There were way too many knots at this point due to the wind and I had to admit defeat. Fortunately, I had a hair tie in my wallet. Using it, I wrapped my hair up into a messy bun, happy to finally have it out of my face. Hopefully it was passable. I then realized Marko was making a face at my neck and I couldn't help but rub at the spot that had his attention. I felt my choker first, then remembered the bite marks I had drawn there. Maybe he didn't realize what they were?

"So, how ya feelin'?" Paul poked at my sides and my concern vanished.

"Oh my god," I repeated for the umpteenth time, eyes alight as all the feelings hit me again just by reliving the memories for even a moment. I felt like running a marathon; robbing a bank; getting into a fight; getting laid; something more than all of those things...The ride brought something back to me I had forgotten I lost. I felt _alive_.

"Yeah, I know," Paul crossed his arms, a smug smirk crawling across his face. "I'm that good." I gave him a half-hearted smack in the gut, but I couldn't disagree.

"You sure _you're_ good?" Marko pressed his hands against my face and I was only then made aware of the fact that I was freezing. My limbs finally began to send feedback to my brain, screaming from the cold. "I imagine you're turning kind of blue under all that lipstick."

"Shh, I'm fine. Can we go again?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"I thought you were excited about the haunted house?" Paul chuckled. "You have a friend coming out here to meet you and everything."

"I mean, not RIGHT this second..."

"How do you think we were getting you home, girl?" Paul gave me a bop in the center of the forehead. I shook it off and hugged him.

"Thanks for this."

"Stuff it. Don't go getting sappy on me." Paul tugged me off of him and steered me toward the ticket booth, slapping down enough cash to pay for himself, Marko, my guest, and me before I could say a word about it. That didn't stop me from complaining all the way to the front gate, though.

"Paul, that's a lot of money!" I was exasperated that he wouldn't hear me out.

"Eh…" He made shooing motions at me with his hands. "Money is a social construct." I couldn't help but laugh, but then my lip caught on something and I immediately covered my mouth as the self-consciousness about the fake fangs slapped me in the face again. I had forgotten I was even wearing them. I began fiddling with the right canine, trying to take it out, only to have my hand pulled away by Marko.

"And stop that! You've been fucking with them all night. Just leave them in. Relax!"

"Well, if it's for you, Marko…" I batted my eyelashes, but the sarcasm was apparent. He looked pleased with himself anyway. It was all in good fun.

I anxiously waited for Miriam, the only friend (acquaintance, really) of mine who agreed to come, by the front gate. I couldn't stop bouncing my foot while I sat, scouring the parking lot, but I had no idea what her car looked like. Fortunately, it didn't appear I would need to wait long. I finally caught a glimpse of her exceptionally dark brown, naturally curly hair and popped up onto my tip-toes. I enthusiastically waved at her over, restless to get moving toward the house. She gave me a half-smile in return, glancing around apprehensively and wrapping her arms around her torso. My face fell.

"Shit," I grumbled allowing my heels to hit the pavement again. "I know she said she isn't the biggest fan of these places, but I really hope she doesn't bitch out on me." The guys tried to hide their snickering as she approached and I brought a smile back to my face as quickly as I could to hug her hello.

"Haven't seen you in a while…" I started awkwardly, following the boys to the line now starting to snake its way out the front door. Seeing as it was Halloween, this shouldn't have been a surprise, but I was already feeling impatient.

"I know! I've missed you! How have you been?" The nervous façade melted away and gave way to Miriam's typical boisterous personality. She hugged me again.

"Great!" I tried to convey my confusion to the boys as I patted her on the back, praying this would be over soon. Hugging while walking was incredibly awkward, not to mention Miriam was one of those friends who always thought we were way closer than I felt we actually were, and I could never exactly figure out why. We had only met in group settings in the past. She did finally release me what felt like ages later, catching both of my hands as we separated and holding them between us. Her light brown irises glittered and we came to a stop at the end of the line. Oh god. It was going to be at least an hour and a half before we made it to the front.

"I, uh…I really like the new bracelet!" I said the first thing that popped into my mind. I was drowning, praying she would throw me a life preserver. In reality, I had no idea if that bracelet was new or not. How the hell was I going to keep the conversation moving the rest of the night?

"Oh my god, right!?" She dangled her limp hand out in front of my face to show off the silver Alex and Ani bangle. It had some sort of swirly design in it that resembled a figure eight with two cursive E's attached on either side. She went on to explain how it represented the path of life and had metals in it that gave her energy and wisdom. I began to further doubt my decision to bring her. She did _not_ fit in with this crowd.

 _'_ Really? What, you're worried your old friends aren't cool enough for your new friends? _'_ My thoughts scolded me.

"And so I'm studying abroad next semester!" I had clearly missed a large chunk of what she said, so I just smiled and nodded, blinking rapidly.

"That's fantastic!" I hoped my enthusiasm didn't sound too fake because it absolutely was.

"What about you?" She goaded me on.

"Oh, you know, just living the dream…" I gestured my hands nondescriptly, not exactly sure what to say. Up until tonight, my life had been pretty blasé: work, school, eat, sleep, study, and occasionally interact poorly with another human being, but I couldn't exactly say that. Fortunately, what I verbalized was all the response she was looking for. She immediately launched into another story about her own life, but my brain could hardly keep up with half of what she was saying. Something about the honors program.

It was difficult enough to look like I was paying attention, but it was even tougher to maintain my composure while Paul and Marko proceeded to do impressions of Miriam behind her back. I kept my poker face as best as I could, but I was going to slap the shit out of both of them as soon as I got the chance. My nostrils flared and my eyebrows twitched with effort. Fortunately, this game did not last long. We only endured about five more minutes before Paul, apparently bored, grabbed my arm and hopped the gate.

"Woah, what are we doing?" I tried to put the brakes on, but he just kept on pulling. I looked back and realized Marko had started tugging Miriam along in the same way.

"I know a guy," was Marko's only explanation. It sure seemed like he did the way the crowd parted for him. I thought security would stop us for sure, but after Marko leaned in and whispered something that seemed to work. The guard only told us to wait until they were signaled to let us in. My eyes widened as I stepped through the entryway, my heartbeat already picking up and a smile overtaking my face.

In case you didn't get the picture earlier, based on the fact that I routinely dream about them, I loved haunted houses. It may have even legitimately become a minor addiction for part of my life. I visited at least one house every weekend from the moment they opened in September all the way through my birthday in November provided I had people to go with. Hell, sometimes I just went alone.

I loved more than just the special effects, though. I learned to truly appreciate the rush of a good scare and what goes into creating one. After visiting as many houses as I had, you start to catch onto the real game. You learn what to look for on the floors and walls. You learn how they expect your attention to be pulled so you can watch in the other direction. You learn how to draw monsters in by pretending to be afraid and to repel them by making eye contact. It becomes a different game, but you gain a better appreciation for the art. I wasn't sure what going through a haunted house with Miriam and the boys would be like, but I was fairly certain Miriam would be a good time if she didn't have a panic attack and the boys would be fine as well if they didn't act too macho around the actors.

As it turned out, the boys were mostly quiet and strangely watchful. It was uncharacteristic, for sure, but I tried not to pay it any mind. I had a new focus: from the first moment I heard Miriam's ridiculous scream and watched her flail, I knew exactly how this night would play out for me. It was almost like a ballet, gracefully stepping over pressure plates, bending around lasers, and always twirling Miriam just in time to get the full dose of the next scare, whatever it may be. I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't long before the boys were trying to play the same game with me.

"Boo!" Paul grabbed my sides, hoping to make me jump. I just laughed some more. "You're no fun!" He huffed.

"No, I get it," Marko decided to chime in. "Big Brave Brenna isn't scared of anything with two hunks protecting her…" I knew what the challenge would be before he even verbalized it.

"Then let's make the next one a game" I smiled sweetly, cutting to the chase and turning to look at them, continuing to walk backward. We were just about to the entrance of another portion of the house marked by an employee passing out plastic gloves. "This next one is a mirror maze." Paul jerked, not insignificantly. "Calm down, jumpy!" I handed him his protective wear. "Let's ALL go through individually. We'll make it a race. Last one out owes the rest of us dinner?" I knew I didn't have the money to be paying for everyone, but I also knew that I would not be the last person out.

"Deal!" Paul took the bet and Marko nodded with him vigorously. "We'll even give you a head start." Miriam, eyes darting between the rest of the group, finally and timidly agreed.

Maybe it was cheating that I already knew how this area operated, but it wasn't like I had a layout memorized and I was fairly certain they changed it yearly. All I knew for sure were the tricks they would be using. Miriam started in first. She extended her hands out in front of her, Frankenstein-like, to avoid running into walls. I, right behind her, simply found the left-most barrier and placed my left hand on it, reaching out a few inches with my right, mostly to protect against the random actor milling about. Unfortunately, I caught up with another group and was stuck moving at a snail's pace behind them as they bumbled about.

The second the lights cut, as I knew they would, I bolted around them. Electricity crackled above the room, simulating firecrackers, and I avoided plugging my ears just to push myself through faster. Following the left wall was a sure way to get out of any maze, but there was always a faster way through. The actors were meant to keep you off that path, but that didn't mean that the rest of my group couldn't have happened upon it in a case of sheer dumb luck. I hoped I wasn't too late. The lights came back on, but with no one in my way, I briskly walked out of the room. I discovered, with a small hop, that first place would be awarded to me.

The lights cut again and I was legitimately startled, for the first time this night, to find Paul and Marko right in front of me when they came back up, arguing over who got out first.

"It doesn't really matter," I put on a snooty act. "Because you are BOTH second to me."

"Yeah, girl!" Paul high-fived me. "How did you make it out so fast?" I shrugged, a confident smirk crawling across my face.

"Sorry boys, trade secret."

It took Miriam about five minutes after that to come stumbling out, screaming and with a clown hot on her heels. When she bumped into Marko and Paul, she shrieked again in a panic, scrambling away from them. Verging on hysterics, I thought she probably had enough for a while, so I pushed her behind Paul, grabbed Marko, and buried my face in his chest, screaming. As expected, the actor swiveled away from Miriam and went directly for me. Once we made it to the next room and the clown stopped pursuing, I dropped the act. Miriam still looked pale, though.

"Sorry about that." I brushed Marko and his jacket off. He just shook his head at me. "Why, Marko, I dare say you look impressed."

"This place is just one giant game to you, isn't it?" I let out another blood-curdling shriek at the next monster, still trying to pull them away from Miriam. I added a bit of extra flailing as I ducked behind Paul.

"More or less," I whispered, raising and lowering my eyebrows. I was completely in my element and it showed. He smiled as he looked down at me, and it seemed like he might be proud. I positively glowed under that gaze.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Thanks for reading! Now, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that this chapter actually got a bit long, so it's not quite over yet and I'm splitting it into two parts! The bad news is that you have to wait until Friday to see the other half. :P**

 **Thanks, as always, to Jakkiisukaru ShiplessOceans for your reviews. Love hearing from you both! I adore hearing your theories and you are both always so sweet!**

 **So, what do you all think? Where did Jay vanish off to? How do you think the mirror maze is going to go? Find out on Friday!**

 **\- A**


	5. Alive - Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I just wish I did**

* * *

 _Warning: This chapter will feature depictions of violence. Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

We walked out of the last of the seven houses at the haunted house in what felt like only a few minutes. Thank goodness because I wasn't sure if Miriam could actually handle much more and I was going to be exceptionally angry if she made us use an emergency exit. The moment we stepped out into the open air and was allowed to use it, I pulled out my phone see if I had any notifications. My stomach dropped when the screen lit up.

"Fuuuuuuuck," I moaned, throwing my head back. "2:00?! My roommates are gonna kill me!" I had missed my curfew, for lack of a better term. "Guys, we gotta get going or I might not have a place to stay tonight." There were, in fact, five texts waiting for me. The sender was listed as Colette or Jordan for all the messages and all had an equally condescending tone to them. They were demanding to know where I was so they knew if they could turn on the security alarm as though this was the end of the world. I could just turn it on when I got home. What was the big deal? Well, if they did decide to turn it on and the alarm went off when I walked through the door, I could always just shut it off. It might wake them up, but that was their problem, not mine. However, I then realized another issue aside from ticked off roommates I could potentially need to deal with: the apartment I lived in only had a swipe card receptacle on the outside of the door, but there was a physical lock on the front door as well. Unfortunately, there was no keyhole for this deadbolt on the outside of the door. If someone decided to use said deadbolt, there would be no way to get in even if I got the help of the front desk.

"We'll raincheck that dinner, Miriam, cross my heart." Paul winked at her and, if possible, even more color drained out of her face. She obviously wasn't over the haunted house yet, but I was sure she just needed the night to process the experience. I didn't have time to help her cope. "We need to get princess home in one piece and make sure no icky kidnappers get to her first," Marko added, pinching at my cheeks despite my attempts to escape him.

"Yeah," I agreed as I started a slap fight with him. "They would need to bury me pretty deep. Otherwise, I'd be coming back for you two chuckleheads!" Marko pulled his hands away and gave me a strange look. "What?" I pressed when he didn't offer an explanation, but he just shook his head.

I said my goodbyes with Miriam who was remarkably silent and stiff when I hugged her. She mumbled something similar to a thank you and walked to her car briskly when I released her, casting glances over her shoulder back at us almost every other step. Poor girl. I hoped she wouldn't hold this against me, but I only had one thing on my mind at that point: Paul's bike. I hardly needed any guidance, but Marko was by my side anyway as I nearly sprinted over to it.

"Brenna," He took my hand, helping to hold me steady as I swung a leg over the motorcycle. "You know that's, like, the trademark of this area, right?" I shook my head, not following what he was talking about at all. "The missing people. They aren't ever found. Not even bodies." I frowned. "You really don't know anything about this place, do you?" I ignored his question.

"How many people?" A small amount of concern was steadily edging into my thoughts.

"…A lot." He seemed to be studying my face as he chewed his thumb.

"Annnnyway," Paul cut in, shooting a look at Marko as he also got on the bike. I scooted forward, not sure if I was shivering due to the cold, the information I just received, or the expression Marko wore. Maybe it was a mix of all three. Marko finally broke eye contact, casually strolling over to his bike and kick starting it. "What do you say we take a few back roads this time and see what you can handle, Brenna?" Paul revved the engine of his bike as he tempted me.

"Well," I glanced at my phone again before securing it in one of the bike's pouches. "Why not? I'm already late," I consented, trying to rid myself of the weirdness of my conversation with Marko. I barely finished my sentence before we shot off into the night, Marko not too far behind.

This trip involved a lot more winding than the previous one, but I held tight to Paul and the bike. I tried to stay as still as possible, per his past instructions. I was already getting used to the speed and, despite trying to stay still, I noticed I was even starting to move like Paul, so I figured it was time to up the ante. I leaned forward to get my lips closer to Paul's ear.

"Faster," I urged him. He seemed more than happy to oblige. I was too scared to check the actual numbers on our speed, I just hoped we didn't bump into any cops. We didn't, thankfully.

The bike only began to slow back down when we got close to the apartment. As we turned into the lot I noticed something I hadn't before and couldn't hold in a laugh.

"What is it?" Paul asked.

"I never noticed I lived on Elm Street before," I pointed out the sign as we passed it. "It's…Kind of funny, with it being Halloween and all. You know – Nightmare on Elm Street and all that?" He didn't respond and I wondered if he had any idea what I was talking about. I decided to just shut up before I made myself look like more of a dork.

The engine cut and coasted the rest of the way into the parking lot, probably so we wouldn't wake up the whole complex.

"Hey, you made it in one piece!" Marko joked as he caught up. He had already parked beside us and I was glad that he seemed back to his usual self.

"I tried to shake her!" Paul elbowed me gently prompting me to smack him upside the head as I removed myself from the bike. I didn't even need help this time. "You know, you're not so bad for a girl," he commented with a wink, dismounting as I had. "Well, dahling." He grabbed my face with both hands and sloppily kissed me on one cheek, then the other making very pronounced "muah" sounds. "I bid you adieu!" He gave another low bow. I laughed, bowing back then heading over to Marko for a hug.

"Well, if my roommates didn't lock me out for the night, then I suppose this is goodnight. And when pray tell can I expect my suitors to call upon me again?"

"We shall pick the lady up tomorrow evening if this pleases her?" Marko offered.

"Nothing's coming to mind." I abandoned the southern belle dialogue, shrugging. "And you already know where you can find me. Actually, speaking of...Marko, how did you know my room number?"

"I kind of have a thing with the front desk attendant." He licked his lips in an exaggerated way.

"Should have known," I laughed, walking toward the door and swiping myself in, shaking my head. "Night boys!" I gave a one-handed wave.

"Night Brenna," they both shouted back.

A short jaunt to my apartment later, I determined that the door to the apartment was not dead-bolted. To my great fortune, I was able to get in and would not find myself homeless. _Un_ fortunately, the alarm was already armed and began sounding the instant I opened it. I keyed in the code as quickly as possible, waiting to see if anyone stirred, but no one did. They were either still pissed at me for staying out too late or dead asleep, but either way, I didn't really care. I still couldn't believe they were actually trying to impose a curfew on me. I changed out of my costume immediately, snuggled into my PJs, grabbed an Easy Mac cup, and couldn't wait to turn on my electric blanket. I was planning on more Pandora, TV, and fanfiction to finish off the night, however, something distracted me on my way to my room. I knocked a small business card off the counter as I pulled my hot dog and mac n cheese out of the microwave which I recognized as the one provided by the Darts. I may have thought they were a crock of shit, but I was _very_ curious as to what I would find on their website. If nothing else, it would be good for a laugh. They reminded me of myself back in elementary school when I was obsessed with the paranormal.

I attempted to settle in and begin my exploration of the Darts' website as I shoveled noodles into my mouth, but my quiet was disturbed as the television began very suddenly and VERY LOUDLY blaring the emergency broadcast system noise. I nearly choked on my macaroni and my head whipped up at the screen, waiting for it to explain what was going on. There was only silence. The audio of the show that was on remained cut away and as the seconds ticked by, it seemed much longer than what I considered normal. Maybe the channel was experiencing some sort of glitch? I tried to physically shake myself out of the weird feeling, internally scolding myself for being frightened so easily. I pressed the power button on the TV remote and turned my attention back to the Darts' website, drumming my fingers on the sides of my phone while I waited for the page to load.

I was interrupted once again by a knock at the apartment door. I glanced over at the clock nervously We never got visitors, especially this late. Maybe I could just wait them out and they would go away, but something seemed off about this. Unfortunately, they knocked again, and my curiosity got the better of me. What if Marko or Paul decided to check on me? I crept to the front door as quietly as I could to figure out what was going on. As I peeked out of the peephole, I was audibly relieved to discover none other than 2202 standing outside. I made sure I was decent and was then more than happy to open the door for him.

"Hey, what can I do for you?"

"Sorry to bother you," he seemed sheepish. "But, we're making some Kool-Aid and I needed some sugar. Do you guys have any?"

"Oh, sure!" I was certain I was acting strange, but I was just so excited to find out there wasn't some sort of serial killer at my door. I practically tripped over myself to get into the kitchen and dig some sugar out, pouring part of the container into a Ziploc baggie.

"Any more run-ins with Creep One and Creep Two?" He asked and I looked over to find him still in the hallway. I expected him to be peering around at the apartment, but his stare respectfully never seemed to leave me. He hadn't even stepped a toe over doorway.

"No, thank goodness," I reported, sealing the bag and passing it off to him. "No more trouble out of them, but thanks for checking. By the way…I didn't catch your name the other day?"

"Oh, it's Michael," he stuck out his hand to shake mine. "And I guess I didn't get yours, either, huh?"

"Brenna," I introduced myself with a smile.

"So, I take it you were off to the big Crandall party earlier tonight?" I had forgotten I had seen him leaving about the same time I did.

"Yeah! It's not my usual thing, but I got an invitation and figured, you know - why not?"

"Oh yeah? I know a few guys that hang out there. Who was your in?"

"Marko? Curly blonde hair, blue eyes? He was hanging out around here the other night in a patchwork coat."

"Runs with four other guys who all ride motorcycles?"

"That's the one!"

"Ah…" His demeanor shifted slightly. "Well, just…Be careful around them. Particularly David. He's bad news."

"Ok, will do." I couldn't hide that I was concerned, but he wasn't exactly telling me anything new. Everything about those guys dripped bad boy vibes, but I wasn't looking for anything serious and as long as I was careful, I could see myself having a lot of fun with them. "Well, enjoy your Kool-Aid." I continued after a few seconds of somewhat awkward silence. "I gotta get to bed."

"Right." He nodded, stepping back from the door. "I guess it is late. Well, if you need anything, feel free to drop by. I owe you one." I waved as he began to enter his apartment. It appeared to be very dark, the only visible lighting being the violet rays of black lights bouncing off neon band posters. It was all very mysterious, and I was very intrigued as to what the rest of it looked like. I also couldn't help but catch a whiff of something skunky. I snorted, immediately recognizing the scent, and Michael smiled back at me, unabashed. I rolled my eyes as we both shut our respective doors and, true to my word, I headed straight to bed. I decided to avoid looking at the Darts' website for now as it just seemed to be creeping me out. Instead, I turned on some music and began the slow process of falling asleep while watching a moth dance around my bedroom lamp.

* * *

 **Puscifer - rev 22:20 (Renholder Mix)**

* * *

 _There was chemistry between the two of them. There was absolutely no way she could deny it as much as she wanted to. He was a stranger, but there was something about that which really turned her on. And, of all the girls at the party, this gorgeous man's attention was on_ _her. She tried to look as confident as she could, puffing her chest out to some degree and showing as much cleavage as she could in a nonchalant way while they ground their bodies against each other. She tried to reign in his roaming grip, but she was putty in his hands and she knew it._

 _It didn't take long before he pulled her away from the floor, like she knew he would, his fingers interlacing with hers. He led her out of the basement to the main floor before guiding her to the steps that would take them to the mythical upstairs of Crandall. Very few people had ever been invited, but there were all sorts of rumors about what this fraternity did there. She wasn't entirely certain if it was a good idea to go up with a guy she just met, especially considering it was against the rules in her sorority, but a small voice told her that this was going to work out. No one would find out. Still, she shivered with anticipation._

 _He was in no hurry to make the climb, but now that they were marginally out of the public eye, neither person was able to keep their hands off the other. Before she knew it, they were on the third floor, dimly lit by a few relight bulbs. The music on this level was drastically different from the main floor and basement, but it really worked to enhance the mood. His lips crashed into hers and she struggled to support herself. Her knees felt like they would give out at any moment. Between kisses she found herself asking anything she could about him._

 _"What's your name?"_

 _"Are you new?"_

 _"Why haven't I seen you around?"_

 _"You wanna get out of here?"_

 _He eventually pulled away with a chuckle pressing his index finger against her lips in a "hush" motion. His irises almost seemed to glow with intensity behind the mask he wore and she found herself panting lightly._

 _"Right now, this is about you." He murmured, pushing her lightly until her back was pressed against the wall. When she didn't speak, he finally removed his hand, brushing it along her cheek to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "But…I think you're right." He smiled. "I think I know of a couple places more romantic than the upstairs of a frat house." He offered her his hand this time and, again, she wondered why she felt so compelled to follow him. He just seemed saturated with mystery and she couldn't pull herself away, but what gave him this mystique? Was this a good idea?_

 _'Other girls do this stuff all the time. Live a little…' Her hand hesitated above his for just a moment before she decided to give it a chance and let him lead again. 'It just feels so right…' She wondered if this was what it was like to fall in love at first sight._

 _As they crossed through the living room, he gave a wave to a group of five that she assumed he came with. One, a wild-haired blonde, tossed her a wink. The other group members' expressions also suggested knowing exactly where they were headed. All, that is, except for a girl. The girl didn't seem aware that he had walked by at all, too engrossed in some sort of game that involved holding up fingers._

 _They hurried out the back door to the house hand-in-hand, the cool air a nice contrast to her flushed skin._

 _"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight?" He whispered as they came to a stop on the back patio. She looked up, an innocent smile playing across her lips as she walked around him to take in a full, unobstructed view of the night sky. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head against hers. This was it. She had found the one. She had never met someone so perfect. And could it have been on a more wonderful night? She closed her eyes trying to memorize every aspect of this moment - the scent of nature at night, the breeze rustling the dead autumn leaves still on the trees, the comfort of his arms encasing her..._

 _She never even saw it coming. She wasn't even granted the opportunity to scream. A hand clamped her mouth roughly and, suddenly, her throat was being torn open. Her eyes were flung open, but the shock prevented her from struggling at first, not that she would have been able to overpower him. The loss of blood was affecting her more immediately than she would have imagined. Regardless, she squirmed in vain._

 _"Oh, honey…" His teeth withdrew from her neck and he loosened his grip on her, allowing her to push away only to trip and fall to her knees. "You're going to try and fight me now? You haven't been able to resist me all night." His tone was still light and jovial. She crawled away as quickly as she could with only one hand to aid her. The other was occupied in an attempt to prevent some of the blood loss. "You are very weak minded..." He was right. She knew he was. All night her gut had cautioned her, and she just went right along with him anyway. And where had that landed her? Crawling away from this...Monster. She realized that despite her frustratingly slow escape, he didn't seem to be making an effort to catch up. "In fact," She had been hoping that maybe he had just let her go. She hadn't seen his face, after all, not with the costume he was wearing. She wouldn't even be able to provide the police with a description assuming she could make it that far. Unfortunately, he was speaking again, and that wasn't a good sign. "You're so weak for me that I bet if I told you right now to stop moving, you would, wouldn't you?" She continued to crawl away, desperation pushing her a little faster. "Your muscles are tired. Your arms and legs are shaking. I can see it from here." She wasn't sure how he could tell all this from his distance. She had to be a good fifteen feet away at this point and even she hadn't noticed the energy drain out of herself leaving her a shivering mess until he said something about it._

 _"You want to stop." She didn't have the energy to move anymore. Her one unoccupied arm beneath her gave way and she fell into the mud beneath her. He was right. She was fighting a losing battle trying to escape him like this. She was wasting valuable energy. "That's a good girl." He praised, starting to sound like he was talking to his pet dog instead of a human being. "Now, why don't you come back over to me?" She was seeing double, and as she tried to stand and just walk away, she simply found herself in front of him again. "See? You want this to happen. Don't you?"_

 _"I don't…" She gurgled, but the words weren't coming out. Her mind was reeling. He couldn't be right, could he?_

 _"Of course you do." He shushed her as he grabbed her shoulders tenderly. "Or, more accurately, it's what I want. And you want what I want." She was silenced with this information as it sunk in. She was so weak, mind and body. He was so right..."Now, could you be a doll and tilt your head to the side for me? I would really like to have some better access here. Maybe move some of that hair out of the way?" She did as she was told, her body betraying her even as the tears began to leak from her eyes, stinging as the salty liquid met with her open wound. "Excellent. Now, why don't you try again? Tell me what you want."_

 _"I want what you want." Her tone was devoid of emotion, and she knew the words weren't her own, and yet she was utterly helpless to stop them. He gave her a stern look._

 _"And what is it that I want?" His voice was snide._

 _"I want you to keep going," she corrected. He still did not appear pleased. "Please," she tacked on at the end, but clearly he still wasn't satisfied._

 _"Please, what?" Taking pity on her clearly weakened state, he now supported her head with one hand._

 _"Please, sir?"_

 _"God, this never gets old…" His expression was overtaken with a wide, toothy grin. "Well, who am I to deny you?" Without any further theatrics, he devoured her neck once more. As she began to wilt in his arms, she found her gaze focused on a group heading to their cars not thirty feet away, completely oblivious to the predicament she was in. They were laughing, enjoying their evening and living life as hers faded away, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She reached out as though she might be able to pull herself to them, but her vision was already out of focus and slowly fading into blackness. Everything was cold._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, I didn't get to upload Friday, but at least I didn't let it go until Wednesday! :P So, what do you think? What was Miriam's issue? What was going on with the TV? Who was that with the girl? Let me know with a review!**

 **Thanks to Jakkiisukaru your review. I you're always so sweet!**

 **And thank you, reader, for following this far! See you Wednesday with the next update and Chapter 5!**

 **\- A**


	6. The Cave - Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I just desperately wish I did.**

* * *

I didn't end up getting much sleep during my first attempt to nod off. It was some terrible hour of the morning and I felt like I hardly got a wink when I woke to the sounds of a scuffle in the hallway. That wasn't unusual, to be honest. The apartments could get pretty rowdy due to the lack of supervision and cameras. Cram a bunch of college kids in a building with no parents or RAs for the first time in their life and you can guarantee four things: sex, drugs, alcohol, and fights. However, what set this particular scuffle apart from the countless others that occurred in my hall so far was that I found myself suddenly in total darkness. The power to at least my room had been knocked out.

"God damn it," I grumbled, feeling around the room for my robe and, in the process of throwing it on, locating my can of pepper spray and a baseball bat from beside my bed before stomping through the kitchen. "The sun isn't even up yet," I screeched, flinging the door open to the hall.

I was surprised and confused to find, of all people, my new friend Jay cowering on the floor. The still costumed young man was protecting his face from who I realized was Theo and Jack. Theo brandished a small, clear bottle at Jay and I didn't exactly understand what I was walking into, but now that I knew who I was dealing with, I didn't think twice about acting.

"Hey!" I banged the bat against the metal door frame, the loud twang meant to startle the brothers. "Drop the bottle!" I pointed the bat at Theo. I saw Jack raise his stake and I lifted the mace in response. Theo scoffed. "This has a range of about fifteen feet. You wanna find out what it feels like to get sprayed in the face with it? It'll hit both of you before you have the opportunity to touch him." I was met with silence, although both brothers lowered their weapons slightly indicating my words were actually sinking in. "No? Then get the hell away from him!" I began to position myself in between the brothers and Jay. "Go on." I was met with scowls as the two backed off.

"You don't know what you're doing," Theo warned.

"You two need help," I accused, my voice cracking noticeably as emotions other than anger were finally given the ability to work their way through me. If I had just stayed in bed, there was a strong chance I would have been waking up to a crime scene later today. I glanced down at Jay, still clutching his face and making quiet hissing noises. I turned back to the brothers with renewed rancor."People are being kidnapped around here, probably killed, and rather than do anything productive to help with that, you're choosing to hide behind this supernatural **bullshit**. You're SICK!" My voice echoed down the empty, silent hall. Jack flinched at the accusation and seemed to want to look anywhere but at me. Theo, on the other hand, still looked ready to fight. I readjusted myself, straightening up and planting my feet more firmly. "Last warning." I directed at him and my voice took on a new edge. With how tired and angry I was, my voice dropped what felt like an entire octave and even I was surprised at how authoritative I sounded. "Get the hell out of here before I call campus PD after I beat both of your asses."

Theo started forward, pulling up one sleeve and reaching for the other and I clenched my fist around the grip tape on the bat, but Jack grabbed him by the arm before he ever reached me. Theo's head jerked toward his sibling, his expression equal parts of frustration and confusion, but Jack just shook his head. He mumbled something I couldn't make out but managed to convince Theo into retreating to their apartment. Again, while Jack still wouldn't make eye contact, Theo's stare bored into mine nearly the full duration of his walk. I stood my ground until their door clicked shut behind them.

"Come on," I exhaled, my frame deflating perceptibly as the adrenaline faded from my system and exhaustion swept over me once more. I knelt at Jay's side until he began to uncurl from himself bit by bit. I hadn't noticed until then the four large holes kicked into the base of the wall separating the hallway from my. "Fucking hell…" I couldn't that the Darts had done this. I knew they made threats but…They just seemed like dorks with a weird obsession. I didn't think they would actually try to _kill_ someone.

I gingerly took one of Jay's hands to pull his arm over my shoulders and slowly began to stand with him. I made sure to take things slow, supporting as much of his weight as I could as I led him to the plaid couch inside.

"Let me get a look at you." I tried to pull one of his hands away from his face and mask, but he pulled away sharply.

"I'm fine," he insisted shortly. "Just…Do you have any ice?" I rolled my eyes at his reluctance but got up to dig around in the freezer anyway. There wasn't actually any ice made, but I wasn't shocked that Jordan and Colette either hadn't noticed or cared to refill it. I glanced over at the sink and, sure enough, it was full of dishes. What was I – the maid service? I understood that they were busy, but at least pick up after your damn self.

I eventually did come up with a frozen bag of peas for Jay. I also decided to take the extra time and care to place it in a large Ziploc bag and wrap it with paper towels. When I handed it off, I was glad to see he was only covering one eye now. He grunted at me as he took the bag which I guessed was a sign of thanks.

"I assume you drove your bike here?" I pulled myself up into one of the kitchen barstools. Jay nodded in response. "I'd offer to take you back, but my car is still at the party. I can't imagine driving with one eye will be easy, not to mention all the wind in your wounds. Why don't you just crash here?" He stared at me, clearly displeased, through his one good eye. "I mean, if you're not comfortable, I understand," I backtracked as fast as I could. "But you're more than welcome here."

"Thanks" he sighed as though admitting this weakness was some point of great shame. "That's…Probably for the best."

"No problem. Just let me just go get some things set up." I hopped down, happy to now physically remove myself from the awkwardness of that conversation. From my bedroom closet, I pulled some fresh blankets and pillow cases for my guest before stripping my own sheets off the mattress. I would move my things to the living room to create a makeshift bed on the couch in the living room while and let Jay take my room. I didn't imagine my roommates would be too pleased finding a strange boy in the living room when they woke up, so it was for the best I kept him behind closed doors. As we began to switch places, however, I noticed that he was shuffling a little.

"I don't mean to be a dick…I'm just kind of sensitive to the light right now. You know, with the whole..." He gestured at his face with the hand not pressing frozen peas against it. "It's kind of giving me a migraine. And I know these apartments get pretty bright. How dark is your room?"

"I think you'll be ok." I smiled, tiredly. "I put up blackout curtains my first week here because the lights kept me up at night. But, if that's not going to cut it, well…We can always throw you in the bathtub? There aren't any windows in the bathroom." I was happy to see him crack a small smile at my comment.

With the frozen vegetables still glued to his face, he checked out the room and seemed to be satisfied.

"I would offer you the remote so you could watch TV or something, but…" I scratched the back of my neck. "You guys kind of killed the power to the room, so…" He shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed and testing out the comfort level by pressing his unoccupied hand into the mattress.

"It's fine. This is all great." His spirits seemed lifted considerably, but he gave me a curious look then. "You're very tired." It wasn't a question, so I knew it must have been apparent. "You're going to end up sleeping in late. You should get some rest." I yawned, nodding and pulling the door shut behind me with a soft "Goodnight." I flopped face first onto the couch, hoping I could shield myself from some of the sun's rays when it decided to rise, and _finally_ returned to my slumber. It felt like a deep, unnatural sleep as it washed over me, like when I took Benadryl as a child. It was fulfilling, but I felt trapped and my dreams were strange and potent.

* * *

 _July 31, 1987_

 _Sam couldn't believe what he was seeing. Where had things gone so wrong? Why had this sounded like such a good idea a few hours ago? It felt like Michael had spanned the gap between himself and Alan in a heartbeat. Had he just flown? The shock of the situation prevented Sam from doing little more than watching, mouth agape, rooted in place, as Michael landed on the last surviving Frog brother and began choking the life out of him._

 _"YOU KILLED HER!" Michael kept screaming over and over again. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER!" With his throat being slowly crushed, Alan couldn't offer much of a rebuttal aside from some wheezing noises as he struggled to escape the much larger boy's grip. Michael eventually did remove one hand, but to Alan and Sam's collective horror, it was only to cock one arm back and slug the Frog square in the face. By judge of the crunching noise that echoed through the cavern, Sam could be sure that Alan's nose was broken and he couldn't prevent himself from wincing empathetically._

 _He wanted so badly to look away, but Sam just couldn't. Michael pulled back to hit Alan again and Sam once more cringed, awaiting the impact, but it never came. Michael had stopped yelling, frozen in place, still tensed and ready to strike the boy. As the seconds ticked on, the eerie quiet of the cave really began to sink in. The stillness was broken only by the sounds of ocean waves lapping against the cave walls and Alan's soft whimpers. Michael had clearly loosened his grip and the Frog continued to squirm with his legs as though trying to swim away from his attacker, tearing his clothes and skin on the jagged floor. Sam noticed his brother's expression was strained, but it was hard to understand from the distance that separated the two what exactly the expression meant._

 _Alan finally managed to push himself up off the ground into a seated position and Sam could see just how bad the damage was. Alan's eyes were puffy, but it was hard to tell what swelling was caused by tears and what was residual bruising from his now very apparently broken nose. It had shifted from its original position on Alan's face by about an inch, bending painfully to the right at the center of his bridge, and blood dripped out of it at an alarming rate._

 _It clicked then for the youngest Emmerson brother why his brother was sitting so very still and he felt himself go as rigid as Michael appeared to be._

 _"No…" Sam whispered, his face morphing as unrestrained horror traveled across it. It was the blood. Michael had resisted killing up to this point, but it had been difficult enough without the stuff sitting out in the open and just inches away from his brother's face. And it wasn't like it would be difficult this time. At least, not after Alan had killed Star. Michael was probably itching for revenge and Nanook was not around to play the part of the defender._

 _Sam thought about calling out to his brother - maybe he could distract the half-vampire long enough to convince him that this wasn't really what he wanted, especially not with the strings that were attached. Fortunately, however, h remembered that the three weren't alone in the cave. He glanced over to the four vampires, equally still, waiting to see what Michael would do. Two of the blondes wore shit-eating grins while the dark haired one's mouth had formed a deep frown. Their leader, as though he knew he was being watched, glanced over to Sam. A smirk began to crawl across the final blonde's own smug face into a giant smile. Sam's heart hammered against his chest. Should he stay or should he just run? He wouldn't have to wonder long. The moment was broken by the shrieks of the last living Frog brother and his mind was made up before he even got a look at what was going on. He knew what had happened and he didn't need the gory details up close and personal. As Sam turned tail, sprinting toward sunlight, he caught just a glimpse of his brother giving into his urges and mangling the neck of the boy. Sam tried to block out the cheers and hollers of the other vampires as they celebrated Michael's surrender._

 _Sam sprinted up the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him. They felt like jelly and it was no surprise that as soon as his feet sunk into the sand, he collapsed to his knees. Sobs wracked his body drowning out the dying wails from the cave. Sam was all alone now. His only friends in this town were dead and his own brother was one of the monsters that killed them. He could still try to convince his mom that they needed to get out of town, but he would have to make it to her before the sun set. They had traveled here by car, but he had no idea how to drive even if he was in any sort of emotional state to try._

 _The boy took a few shuddering breaths to try and calm himself and began to stand, leaning heavily on the car's frame. He would have to walk, he realized, and he prayed he would make it to Max's Video Store before sundown. This all felt so wrong…_

* * *

My eyelids drowsily slid open what felt like a couple of days later and I was vaguely aware of Jay shaking my shoulder.

"Hey," he spoke softly and I rolled over to face him, squinting from the brightness of the living room ceiling light. Stupid natural light bulbs... "I'm gonna head out. I figured you might want to be woken up." I glanced around, pushing myself into a sitting position as I tried to locate a clock to see what time it was. I didn't find one, but noticed that it was definitely still dark out between the slats in the Venetian blinds. The math wasn't quite making sense to me.

"Shit, not again." I pushed myself fully into a sitting position as I read the time off of my phone screen. It was dark because the sun had already risen and set once more. It was rare that I slept in any later than 3:00 pm, but this wasn't unheard of for me. I tended to lead a nocturnal lifestyle when left to my own devices, which I wouldn't mind except that it was agonizing to try and reverse when responsibilities called.

"I told you that you were tired," Jay shrugged. "Anyway, this works out. I'll send Paul or Marko over to get you. I believe you had plans for tonight?"

"Yeah," I rubbed my face, yawning a bit. "I should go make myself presentable." I was quite certain my makeup had to be smeared all over my face. There was no point trying to cover it up at this point – he had already seen the worst of it. What harm could a few more smudges do?

"Alright, I'll catch you later." He slid his shoes back on and waved a goodbye as he exited.

It took a while to get motivated enough to extract myself from the warm cocoon of my blanket burrito, but it wasn't too long before I finally finished showering and applying the finishing touches to my makeup for the evening. I was just pulling my phone off the charger in the living room when I heard a tap on the nearby window. I glanced over, puzzled. It was followed by another tap just a few seconds later. I decided to pull up the blinds and laughed and who I found.

"You're so clichéd, Paul!" I yelled, whipping the glass pane open.

"Oh yeah?" Paul hollered back, dropping the remainder of the gravel pebbles in his hands back into the parking lot. "Am I gonna have to bring my rock box out here too and serenade you until you come down?"

"Jesus! Don't get your panties in a bunch! I'll be right down!" I shouted back. Shutting and locking the window like a responsible adult, I grabbed my basic necessities and was out the door in a flash. My roommates were oddly quiet, so I figured I had missed them and they were out for the evening again. Truth be told, it was like they didn't even live here anymore. I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much, but I noticed I was frowning. I shook it off pretty quickly, though, and practically skipped the rest of the way down the stairs to meet Paul. I found that he was shaking his head at me.

"Did you forget what kind of chariot I drove again," he asked as he surveyed my outfit. I only realized at that moment that my car was still parked on the street from the other night, but I figured we could take care of it later.

"I'll be fine!" I smiled.

"And your hair is still dripping wet…"

"I'll be _fine!_ " I repeated "My dad used to have a Harley that he specifically used as a blow-dryer when he was my age."

"And no jacket…"

"What are you, my mother?"

"You wound me!" Paul raised his hand to his heart for emphasis before he began to shrug off his own coat. I thought it was part of his costume from the previous night, but apparently, along with his white t-shirt and light wash jeans, it was a member of his regular wardrobe. I was equally surprised to discover that the earring he wore last night wasn't a clip on. Interesting. As he helped me into the garment, one arm at a time, I decided to take a closer look for anything else I had missed from the previous night. For one, his blue eyes were softened to more of a seafoam color without the guyliner and I also noticed that his nose was somewhat crooked, likely from being broken several times in the past.

"That'll do, pig," he kidded, stepping back to admire his handiwork. I shot him a glare as I realized just how terrible the fit was, making a move to swing at him. With the length of its tails, the coat turned out to be more like a dress on me and hung just centimeters above the ground. "Oh, chill out and hop on Cinderella!" At least I had enough sense to wear my boots and jeans tonight instead of tights. I decided to oblige when I realized I was already aching to get on our way.

"Come on, come on, come oooonnnn!" I drummed my hands on Paul once I was settled in.

"I've created a monster," he groaned, but his smile betrayed feelings somewhere between satisfaction and pride.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Just a ride!" He called back, gunning it.

* * *

 _She tried_ _to stay in the largest group possible when her class let out – she figured that had to be her best chance at survival. Surely they wouldn't attack while there were these many witnesses. Or, maybe that didn't actually matter. Could they take out all these people at once? What the hell even WERE they?_

 _She jumped every time a person brushed past her in the hall. She hadn't been resting well since her experience last night, and it was only attributing to her paranoia. The fatigue made it so much easier to believe she saw one of their faces peering in through a window from the corner of her eye, or that she heard one of their voices behind her in class. She had been holding in the outward manifestations of her anxiety all day and simply did not have the willpower to keep her façade up, but now that the sun had set, the shadows redoubled their efforts to play cruel tricks on her at every turn._

 _She did not stop to peek outside the building to see if anyone was waiting. Her plan was to keep her head down and to keep moving with the herd, but even while shielding herself with her classmates, she felt completely and utterly exposed, as though she stood naked in front of the world. She tucked her hands under her arms and slouched in a way she hoped wasn't noticeable, trying to become as small as possible without drawing attention to herself. When that wasn't sufficient, she tucked her dark hair and as much of her face as she could beneath the hood of her sweatshirt. None of it would ease her apprehension. She hoped that once she was in the safety of her car her hair would no longer stand on end, particularly those on the back of her neck. They pricked painfully every few seconds, a constant reminder that she was not safe, and it sent tremors running through her._

 _The five-minute walk felt like it was taking hours. She knew she was overanalyzing, but every step, shuffle, crunch, and ruffle sent a new wave of panic crashing upon her. It was all she could do to keep walking at a steady pace and breathing normally, the tingling in her legs growing stronger and more difficult to ignore, urging her to run as fast as she could to the car and break away from the crowd. Each normally paced step up the stairs in the parking garage to her now visible Nissan was agonizing. She was so close, and she no longer had anyone around. Her fingers curled tighter around her keys, terrified to drop them and ready to put them to use as a weapon if the situation called for it._

 _Gaze flashing every direction, she began to speed walk, then scurry, then actually run to the car, mashing the unlock button on her key fob as she gave into her barely contained hysterics. She whipped open the door and threw herself inside, slamming the metal shut behind her and locking the doors once more immediately. As her own breathing echoed off the glass of the windshield, she realized just how close to hyperventilating she had become. With no energy left in her, she sank in her seat, attempting to regain control over herself. She was still sitting in a glass box, not necessarily her safest option when sitting still. If she could just get the car in motion and to the safety of her apartment's garage…_

 _"You know, I was starting to think you wouldn't show." And there he was, lounging across her back seat as though he belonged there. She found herself paralyzed – a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. This was it. "Now, let's get this show on the road! I believe you still owe me dinner." He sat up, placing one hand on either side of her seat. "So I suggest you start your car before we're late for our reservation"  
_

* * *

 **Author's Note : Sorry, but I gotta cut it there! This chapter got WAY out of hand. In better news, Part 2 is going to be almost double the length of this one! Expect to see it up sometime this weekend!**

Hopefully this chapter cleared a few things up, but it also opened up a few more questions. What do you think happened with Sam and Lucy? Is Paul being truthful? Who was in the girl's car and, for that matter, who was the girl? Let me know with a review!

Thanks to JakkiiSukaru and Shipless Oceans, as always, for your speculations!


	7. The Cave - Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I just desperately wish that I did.  
**

* * *

 **Nothing But Thieves - Trip Switch**

* * *

Paul and I drove until we were nearly out of gas, then just kept right on driving after a quick refuel and drink stop. We didn't even really talk. We both just enjoyed exploring and listening to the radio. I realized that maybe for the first time in my life, I didn't need a plan – I was happy with just wandering all night if that's what we were doing. I didn't need to schedule anything and, instead of the typical feelings of nervousness this would bring, I had never felt freer. I didn't even know where we were! That might have bothered me last night, but I was beginning to trust these boys. Maybe that was stupid considering I'd only started getting to know them less than twenty-four hours before this, and I could already hear my roommates lecturing me about being more careful, but that almost gave me more motivation to hang out with my newfound friends. Realizing I was starting to sound like a rebellious middle school student, I tried to push those thoughts out of my head. Now was not the time for negativity and second thoughts. My gut was telling me that this was alright.

At some point several hours into the journey I realized we were no longer just riding around randomly and that Paul seemed to be sticking to a particular direction, so I figured some plans may have actually been in place which I was not previously made aware of. Maybe he had been stalling for some reason? I wasn't exactly familiar with where we were headed, but I was pretty sure the park was this way. I couldn't help but giggle as my stomach leaped into my throat on one particularly large hill showcasing an impressive view of Young Haven. I decided to be a little brave, extending my arms out fully on either side of myself as though I were flying.

"I'm king of the world!" I yelled into the wind. I couldn't see Paul's expression, but I could feel his laughter rumbling through the back of his chest.

"You're getting awfully comfortable back there," he turned his head a little to holler at me. "I think it's time to start teaching you soon!" I bit my lip as he pulled into a gravel lot in Tun Creek Park. Seriously? Would they trust me with that?

He cut the lights to the bike and had me climb off. I could already see David leaning against the rock face protruding from the large hill behind him. He tossed the butt of his cigarette away while Paul walked the bike into some bushes, concealing it from any cars passing by. I kind of figured we weren't supposed to be here. The park officially closed at sundown and we were well past that.

"Welcome," David purred. As I suspected, the outfit he wore to the party yesterday could have been the very same one he donned today, although now he sported a thick wool coat overtop his leather one. Dark wash jeans, black biker boots, a medal attached to his coat, and an earring dangling from his left ear completed the look. I hadn't noticed until now just how white his spiked hair was, or how he kept some scruff on his face. Usually, I was distracted by his eyes…The eyes I currently found myself locked onto. It felt like I was being challenged to a staring contest any time he glanced my way and I was getting real tired of it. This time I decided I wasn't going to be the one to look away first. His expression softened and his trademark smirk returned as he chuckled. His gloved hand stretched out toward me as an offering and I decided to take it, fighting back a blush. It confused me how his stare could seem so dark one minute but bright and vibrant the next. It felt more like I was staring down a wild animal than dealing with a person at times.

"This is the Hag's Cave." David finally looked away and I felt a surge of satisfaction flow through me as I won our unannounced game. "It used to be the hangout spot for a rough crowd back in the twenties." He led me down the steps toward an opening in the large rock surface in front of me. It was much more impressive up close. I realized that the opening was dark as pitch and full of tripping hazards, but I could see a glow somewhere further off. I would not have guessed that the cave was this large and was glad David knew the footing because there was no way I could have made it through in the low light conditions on my own and without a flashlight. "But, after one too many accidents, they walled the whole thing off. It's a pity, really. People left so much behind…" Stepping into the main chamber, I realized first that the light I first noticed was produced by two barrel fires. The smoke rose through several shafts in the ceiling that doubled as additional lighting with the moonlight hazily filtering through. It was certainly dramatic, but what was most impressive was the collection of items scattered about. Every surface available was covered in empty bottles and eccentricities, some relatively new while others could have been ancient artifacts. I was surprised that a literal hole in the wall could be made to feel like a home the way this cave was.

Speaking of the walls, they looked like they had grown an inch thicker with the many layers of different graffiti left there. It was beautiful chaos – varying colors of spray-painted names and tags overlapping until one couldn't be made out from another. One piece, in particular, stood out simply due to its size. It had once been a large mural, but time and other paintings had long since obscured it, erasing the faces of the six dapper figures from history. Most of the characters had clearly been initially painted onto the wall decades ago, but two of the individuals were newer and one couldn't have been more than a couple of years old.

Posters and tapestries also obscured some of the sections of the paint. The boys seemed to favor classic rock artists and horror movies, but some references to newer things could be found. I couldn't help but grin at an Avenged Sevenfold tour poster I had personally been hunting for some time now. I wondered who each of the pictures belonged to and, given all the stuff jam-packed in here, I questioned to myself if the boys might actually live in the cave. It was an admittedly cool space if you didn't mind some bats for roommates: no rent, no neighbors, and even though Sowwick Valley experienced all the seasons in full force, the inner parts of the cave seemed to keep themselves warm on their own. If they did live here, I wondered what they did for showers…

My thoughts were interrupted as someone hopped up out of their seat in one of the well-worn cloth couches at the center of the room and over to me.

"Diggin the threads!"

"Hey, Marko!" We high fived and he grasped my hand to pull me into a half hug.

"It looks better on you," he whispered, but not very quietly. He was already flinching away from the punch Paul sent his way, snickering. Meanwhile, I had forgotten I was even wearing Paul's coat. I made a motion to slide it off, but Paul himself stopped me by catching its collar before I had a chance to get out of it.

"It's a little cold. Leave it on." I smiled appreciatively and was already being dragged away by Marko toward the sitting area.

He looked the exact same as when I first met him: eyes like the deep sea and baby cheeks, a blond curly mop on top of his head and…A single earring. I was starting to notice a pattern. I felt like it couldn't be a coincidence at this point, and I played with one of my own earrings thoughtfully. Did they all have one? I was escorted to a seat on a couch closest to one of the fires, which I appreciated. The cave wasn't as cold as the outside, but the extra warmth was pleasant and appreciated.

I noticed Dwayne was already settled into a chair, book open, one leg curled to his side and the other dangling over a chair arm. He didn't seem to be paying me or anyone else any mind. had scarcely more clothing on now than when he was in the Tarzan costume, but still seemed to have an aversion to shirts. His skin, a deep tan color, was still visible beneath a dark wash jean jacket and equally black jeans. He modeled the same dark mane I had seen the previous night and, surprisingly, one of the animal tooth necklaces as well. And, how could I forget: one earring dangled from his left ear. My eyebrows knitted.

"Comfortable?" David asked as I rubbed my hands over the fire.

"It's actually pretty cozy in here," I had to admit, although my stomach decided to remind me at that moment that I had yet to eat today. He must have noticed.

"Marko," he called. "Food." I watched the boy in the patchy jacket disappear with a small salute and not another word. "Can I interest you in an appetizer while you wait?" David offered, taking a freshly lit joint off of Paul. I smiled, shaking my head no. "Or perhaps a drink?" He lightly kicked at a case of beer at his feet.

"No, thank you." I was forced to say it out loud. That silly childish feeling was returning and I was hoping he would just drop it. Explaining my reasoning just made it sound even dumber.

"What, you don't drink?" Damn it.

"I'm just trying to hold off drinking anywhere other than at home until my twenty-first birthday. I want to be a teacher when I graduate and an underage would destroy me."

"Aw." His tone sounded slightly condescending, but not enough to be positive if that was his intention. "How about a coke, then?" He tossed a can to me and I set it on the abused coffee table at the center of us. I began to tap on the lid, trying to get the liquid to settle, ignoring the fact that it felt like I had just been slighted. Anything to distract me from the look I was positive I was on the receiving end of. "How old are you, anyway?" David removed the cap from his beer bottle, dropping it to the ground with a clatter.

"Twenty," I held the can up to my ear, listening for the fizz. I caught David tilting his head at me, hands steepled in front of him, from the corner of my eye. "What? Don't believe me?" I scoffed, placing the Coke down in front of me. It didn't sound like it would settle anytime soon. "Eh. No one else seems to either. I apparently don't look it because I _still_ get carded to get into R-rated movies. How old did you think I was?"

"You're right. I put you at eighteen."

"It's not the worst thing in the world, I guess." I shrugged. "When everyone else is old and wrinkly, I'll be forever beautiful." I was obviously being sarcastic, emphasized by an overdramatic hair flip, and glanced around to realize I was receiving toothy grins from the four boys that remained in the room with me. Apparently, there was some joke I wasn't in on. I didn't think my comment was that funny.

"So, when's the big day?" Dwayne had been pulled into the conversation. His voice was to some extent deeper than I expected it to be.

"Well, let's see…" I wasn't actually certain what the date was and had to pull my phone out to check. I was somewhat surprised by what I found: November 1st. I had completely forgotten about Jordan's birthday today! I had to be the worst friend ever! And then the realization began to settle in and a sort of numbness took hold. That was why the apartment was so quiet tonight - my roommates were out celebrating without me. They would have had to walk right past me on their way out the door and they didn't even bother to invite me along.

"Oh, uh…Two days, I guess…" I tried to cover the change in emotions that just transpired. They didn't need to get sucked into my moping.

"Don't sound too excited," Jay teased. Damn. I had to work on my acting.

"Sorry, holidays just keep sneaking up on me." I tried to dismiss his concern with a half-hearted smile.

"Don't worry," Dwayne leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "They do that the longer you stick around."

"So…They call this the Hag's Cave?" I made an attempt at changing the subject before anyone had a chance to question me more. I had a feeling it didn't go unnoticed, but no one seemed bothered enough to address it.

"Haven't you heard?" David's eyebrow raised.

"This town is _full_ of spooks" I felt Jay' hands on my shoulders, shaking me gently, and I rolled my eyes. "There are dozens of legends about this town and its dangerous, supernatural inhabitants." Jay sauntered over to the case of beer to pluck one out himself while David wiggled his fingers at me making a low ghostly noise to enhance the story.

"Tch. If you believe the Darts…" My words dripped with acid and I could feel myself begin to sneer a bit. I realized I had forgotten to check in with Jay and my features immediately softened as I looked back to him. "How's your face, by the way?"

"Fine." The smile dropped from his face. Shit. Maybe he was embarrassed? Regardless, it appeared that Jay was telling the truth. Had I not been aware that he had been in a fight, I would have had no idea. Like all of the boys, save for Dwayne, Jay had a fairly pale complexion which would show marks easily if his skin was anything like mine. Or, maybe he was hiding some bruising behind his long, wavy, chocolate brown hair. It didn't seem like it, though. Most of the strands were kept at bay with the aid of a red bandana. I couldn't help but take in the rest of him now that he wasn't wearing a mask. His eyes, now desperately trying to avoid mine, were surprisingly light brown and, overall, his features could be best described as European, especially when pulled into this frown. His outfit, similar to the other boys, was simple: black jeans, white t-shirt, a black leather jacket, matching biker boots, and, as I imagined there would be, one dangling earring. I again felt bugged by this. Should I ask?

"Yes, we heard last night got kind of interesting for you two." David seemed to be avoiding the subject as best as he could for Jay's sake.

"My neighbors are insane." I stepped in, hoping to make up for dredging up the topic in the first place. "They even tried to run _me_ through with a stake the night I moved in. They think the town is overrun with vampires or some shit like that and that they're Young Haven's only hope." I fluttered my eyelids. "Bullshit."

"So, what'd you do?" Paul leaned forward.

"Well, they woke me up by nearly crashing through my wall like the god damn Koolaid man, so I grabbed a baseball bat and told the Darts to fuck off." Was it my imagination, or was that a glimmer of approval in David's expression? I was happy I left out the bits about the mace and calling the police. I wasn't lying as things stood, but it just made the story sound slightly more epic to leave those bits out.

"Jay seemed like he was alright," I continued. "But _I_ insisted he wasn't allowed to drive his bike until he got some shut-eye and some swelling went down." Again, it wasn't a complete lie, but in making it seem like I forced him to stay, it was my way of apologizing for even bringing it up. "And thank goodness he was there because I think I would have slept into tomorrow if he hadn't woken me up."

"You don't have to lie for him, you know." I couldn't tell if Dwayne was being serious or not. It didn't sound like he was angry or suspicious. In fact, it sounded like something closer to respect. Not knowing how to answer, I stayed quiet. However, no one else was talking either, so I scrambled to come up with a topic. I discovered that I felt quite a bit of pressure to impress the boys and that meant remaining interesting. However, everyone else seemed distracted by one thing or another, so I didn't feel too guilty about just pulling out my phone and scrolling through really quick until I or someone else came up with something to chat about.

I blazed past a few status updates regarding Jordan's birthday party and a couple of political rants, mundane things, but had to backtrack to find a photo that set itself out from the rest. It was difficult to recognize the individual beneath the gore, Miriam's username was at the top of the update and it looked like it was probably the right hair color under the gobs of blood. My first thought was that this was an excellent makeup job and I brought the phone closer to appreciate it better. It looked like her eyeballs were ripped out of their sockets, the rest of her face a bruised and bloody mess, her mouth frozen in the early moments of a scream. One of her hands hovered over her face as though preparing to examine the damage. It wasn't terrible acting and I couldn't find any latex seams or patchy spots, so this had to have been a professional or at least someone who had taken a few classes. But, actually, this almost looked too good to just be makeup. Maybe it was retouched? I didn't understand with the way her head was turned a few degrees to the side, how they could fake her actual eye socket being empty without photo manipulation. I struggled with this, but moreso with the subject of the picture. Miriam hated Halloween and gross stuff like this. It didn't seem like something she would agree to. Could this be a real photo of her somehow? There weren't any comments yet…

"Everything OK over there?" David asked a little too innocently. I tore my eyes away from the viscera in front of me and attempted to smooth my facial expression over.

"Yeah," My attempts at sounding casual were unsuccessful. "Why?"

"You look kinda freaked." Paul chimed in.

"Well," I glanced back down at my phone but found that the Facebook page must have refreshed because the picture was gone. "Damn it." I hated it when this happened, but I at least knew where I could find it again. I typed in Miriam's username, but the image wasn't anywhere on her page. "I thought I saw something but…It's gone." I turned off the phone screen and decided to put the phone away for a bit. Clearly, I was too stressed or something and I just imagined that was Miriam's name. David shrugged at me, but leaned forward in his seat, his gaze more piercing and smirk more annoying than usual. I was about to ask what his problem was, but then my phone decided to blare an emergency alert at full volume causing me to jump. I opened the screen to find no notifications. That couldn't have been in my head, but the boys all appeared puzzled at my antics.

"What the fuck is up with this thing?" I mumbled to myself more than anyone else and decided to just power the device down and give it a hard reset later.

"Probably just a glitch or something." David reclined in his chair. "And look who it is!"

"Food's here, boys!" Marko strolled in, arms filled with boxes upon boxes of Chinese takeout. "AND lady," he added. I received a container all my own along with some chopsticks.

"You're the best, Marko!" I could hardly stop myself from tearing into the container but forced myself to behave like a normal, civilized human being even if lo mein _was_ my favorite...

"Hungry?" David asked. So much for being normal and civilized. Noodles were dangling over my lips as I looked up and I tried to cover my mouth while I slurping them up.

"Starving," I confirmed once I was able to gulp the food down.

"Yeah, you're looking a little pale Brenna," Marko noted through a mouth full of General Tso's.

"Boo!" Paul popped up from behind the couch, laughing. The fright was supposed to be friendly, I believed, but between the lingering paranoia caused by my curious phone occurrences and the fact that I hadn't noticed him move from his spot on the couch, he legitimately startled me. I jumped, nearly knocking over the fire barrel in front of me. "Is Brenna afraid of ghosts?" I turned to glare at him but didn't understand what I was seeing. His face looked contorted and strange, like something out of a house of mirrors. It was disconcerting the way his jaw seemed to be melting off his face. My stomach twisted, but I forced a smile and took a deep breath through my nose, closing my eyelids for just a moment. I was clearly just very hungry and the dim, flickering light from the fire was playing tricks on me. It wasn't real. When I opened my eyes again, Paul's face was back to its cocky, grinning self. Two chopsticks dangled out of the front of his mouth like fangs or tusks which he wiggled at me with his fingers.

"Nah," I took another bite of noodles and directed all of my attention toward stirring my food around, hoping a full stomach would put a stop to all this strangeness. "Nothing like that." I paused and turned back to Paul again. "And did you just seriously get me with 'Boo'?"

"I sure did." He was so pompous, but I had to give it to him.

"Damn." I raised my hand for a high-five, which he took. "That was really good."

Turning back into the circle, I realized David's eyes had changed again. They were alight with curiosity and mischief, and I felt Paul leap over the couch to take a seat beside me, trying to steal some of my noodles.

"You're sure I can't offer you a _real_ drink?" David prodded. "It's only two days away…"

"At this point, I'd rather just wait." I'm sure he could tell I was fighting with myself based on my flat tone. "And, it's not that I _don't_ drink, I just avoid it in less than private places for right now." I always felt the need to justify my actions around David, and I was back at it again. "And, we're kind of in the middle of a public park after hours, so I'm breaking enough laws for tonight. I have two more days and then I never have to worry about an underage ever again. I'd rather just stick it out."

"That's fair, I suppose…" He still seemed disappointed and it stabbed me like a knife. I was beginning to feel such an absolute need, from the depths of my soul, to be accepted by this group. Going against them felt like it might actually be killing me.

Regardless of my feelings on drinking, David and the other boys were more than happy to get right to it when we were done eating. Marko poured the first round of shots at the coffee table and I eyed him and Paul wearily. They were typically my ride, but I also didn't want to be a buzzkill and ask them to stay sober or end the night early.

"Don't worry – I'll take you home." Dwayne's gaze hardly lifted from his book, but he could somehow tell exactly what was worrying me at that moment. I relaxed back into my seat. Everyone was entertained and I didn't really have someone to talk to, so I decided to finally crack open my Coke and pick up my phone to restart it and check Facebook. Hopefully, it would be functioning properly this time. I tried searching for the image of Miriam one more time but had no luck in doing so. Just more pictures Jordan's birthday party littering my news feed. Everyone invited seemed like a person from her program, but I couldn't be sure because I didn't recognize anyone. I rolled my eyes. I shouldn't be dwelling on this.

"Everything ok?" Dwayne had set his book down, I realized.

"Oh, just…Stupid girl things." I waved my hand at the issue. I didn't want to drag him into this – we hardly knew each other and, really, what was bothering me was incredibly petty. However, he just kept staring at me until I finally cracked, spilling the story in the briefest way I could. "Tonight is my one roommate's birthday. I forgot, and I felt really terrible about it…Until I realized that she had a whole party going on tonight and I wasn't invited." I lowered my voice. "Actually, it was like they went out of their way to avoid inviting me. But…Truth be told, I probably would have been miserable anyway. I hate not being able to drink when everyone else is trashed around me." I glanced behind myself, but the boys didn't seem like they were getting out of hand. Yet. This was okay, but I couldn't pretend I wasn't salty I couldn't partake.

"Regardless," I brought my volume back to a normal level. "It still sucks to not be included and it got me thinking about what I would be doing for my birthday and, well…" I shook it off. "It's stupid. It'll be fine. I'll invite some people out and have a good time." I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince, myself or Dwayne, but I wasn't winning over either party over with my little speech. I could tell Dwayne read straight through me and, although he opened his mouth, he closed it again immediately deciding against responding to my small rant.

"Enough about me, what are you reading?" I changed the subject.

"Slaughterhouse – Five." Dwayne flashed me the cover.

"People keep telling me I need to pick that up. You like it?"

"It's decent. You're welcome to borrow it when I'm through."

"I would _love_ to borrow it, but I can't kid myself into thinking I'll actually find time to sit down and read it." I sighed bitterly. "I used to read all the time, but anymore, there just aren't enough hours in the day. I just kind of stick to shitty fanfiction." Dwayne didn't seem to understand what that was but nodded without any amount of judgment in his eyes. For that, I was grateful. He was incredibly easy to talk to, but I realized his silence had a way of bringing out all your thoughts and secrets.

"What was the last book you read?" was his next question. I had to really think about it.

"A Million Little Pieces, I think. I got it in a gift exchange. It took me two years before I finally sat down with it."

"And? What was it about? Did you like it?"

"It was pretty good. It basically followed a guy dealing with all the messed up stuff that goes along with drug addiction and treatment. It got a lot of hoopla when it first came out, then the guy was exposed as a fraud…Which kind of ruined the story considering half the punch was that it was supposed to be true..." We fell into another silence, but not an uncomfortable one. I thought he had gone back to reading his book, so I lifted my phone again and began scrolling through more posts.

"You know, usually I'm the quiet one."

"Oh really?" I placed a hand on my chin, crossing my legs and doing what I'm positive was a poor impression of one of my old therapists. "And tell me: how does this make you feel?"

"It's just refreshing. People talk too much about stupid shit."

"I'll drink to that." I raised my Coke to Dwayne and attempted to take a swig of it, but the can was almost immediately knocked to the floor by Paul when he yanked me up out of my seat. Fortunately, none of the cola landed on me.

"Let's dance, girl," he demanded. Just as I began to get over the shock of having my drink violently ripped away from me, I was dragged away from the couch to be twirled around the cave by both Marko and Paul. I played along half-heartedly to placate them but shot several looks at Dwayne over my shoulder screaming for help. The only sign that he noticed me at all over his book was the small smirk I that appeared on his face. Seeing that he would not be my knight in shining armor, I made the best of it, basically following whatever Paul or Marko did. David and Jay stood off to the side, deep in some conversation.

I planned on making my exit when the song came to an end, but then the radio station put on a song I actually recognized.

"Ooh!" My rear barely touched the seat before I shot back up. I clapped along to the beat, humming with the intro, but the stares around me were vacant. "Does no one else know this?" Crickets. "Whatever. Paul! Marko! Let's go!" I cranked the volume.

* * *

 **Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - SOB**

* * *

" _I'm gonna need someone to help me._ " I sang along.  
" _I'm gonna need somebody's hand.  
I'm gonna need someone to hold me down.  
I'm gonna need someone to care._"

Paul and Marko finally joined in clapping and stomping. They were very much off beat, but their enthusiasm was appreciated.

" _I'm gonna writhe and shake my body.  
I'll start pulling out my hair.  
I'm going to cover myself with the ashes of you,  
And nobody's gonna give a damn._"

There was a beat and I froze in place with the music, arms out and tensed, ready for the music to kick back in.

" _Son of a bitch!_ "

The three of us exploded with movement: jumping, shimmying, kicking, and swinging hair.

" _Give me a drink!  
One more night,  
This can't be me!  
Son of a bitch!  
If I can't get clean,  
I'm gonna drink my life away!_"

By the end of the song, the two weren't exactly fans of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, but I had at least succeeded in wearing them out some. The next song was, thankfully, slow, allowing me to lean against the back of one of the couches and catch my breath. Dwayne had set his book down and repositioned himself, but I hadn't even noticed until now.

"I didn't know you sang."

"Well, you never really asked. Aaaaand I wouldn't exactly call _that_ singing. It was more or less yelling in tune." He hit me with his signature stare. "I just did some chorus stuff throughout school. Nothing major. I dropped it when I graduated high school. THAT was not singing, but…Maybe I'll show you sometime."

"I'll hold you to that," he warned.

"I had a feeling you would."

The boys were officially toeing line between tipsy and trashy just after 3:00, the same time I decided to head home, but not before taking advantage of their sorry state.

"Hey, Paul…" I looked down at an oddly shaped cushion on the couch. "What's that pillow for?"

"It's…decorative?" He stared at me, confused as to why I was grinning like a madwoman. Without any further indication of what was to come, I picked up the pillow, smacking him in the face with it as hard as I could. He cradled the red mark left behind while I howled with laughter.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I don't know!" It was my turn to get hit. Dwayne let us go for a while before he finally took the pillows off of each of us informing everyone that it was time for me to go home.

"I'm gonna miss you, you know?" Marko was beginning to slur a meager amount. "You're just, like…" He took my face in his hands. "You're so small…" He began squeezing my cheeks together forcing my mouth into a fish-like pucker. "You're like my little sister!"

"Oookay," I pried his hands away. "I love you too, Marko." He fought me the entire way as I placed him in a chair.

"N-no. You don't understand." He kept trying to stand up and now Jay stood over him, trying to weigh him down and save me. "You're our…Our…You're _our_ Brenna! You're just great!" I shook my head with a laugh, not really sure where this was going.

"Good luck Jay, David." I nodded to them both in turn. "Good night, everyone!" The noise that returned might have been a goodbye, but it was really hard to tell at their level of inebriation.

Riding with Dwayne was a different experience from the rest of the boys entirely. Paul and Marko rode dirty, which was both fun and terrifying in equal measure, but this…The way Dwayne drove made me felt like we were gliding. The moon was high in the sky, reflecting off Ice Floe Lake, and the world was an image of tranquility. Dwayne must have noticed me while I was in a state of awe because he was suddenly pulling the bike over at the lakeside.

"Did you really want to go home, or just get away from those idiots?"

"Not quite ready for home yet," I confirmed. "I slept all day, now I'll be up all night…Come Monday, my sleep schedule is going to be completely screwed." We walked down to the water, on some of the rocks that the water had spit out, and found ourselves content just throwing stones. Dwayne was able to make rocks skip on forever. Meanwhile, I was happy if I could get mine to hop more than three times before sinking. I sighed, not in an unsatisfied way. I had no urge to return to my apartment where I would sit alone with reruns of old TV shows, partially reheated leftovers, and the dull glow of my cell phone screen to keep me company. Two months ago, these things made me the happiest person in the world. I was so grateful just to walk into that building. Now…Now I wasn't so sure.

"Life is weird, Dwayne." I wasn't even sure why I said something. That would make him want to ask questions, and I didn't actually want to talk. I just wanted to get my feelings out of my head where they had a bad tendency to fester until they became something nasty. However, he remained quiet, as though he intuitively knew what I needed.

"How about that song?" He eventually asked. I sat still for a beat.

"IIIIIIIIt's a small world aaaaaaaafter all!" I started abrasively. _He_ didn't laugh, but at least I cracked _myself_ up. "No?" I sighed. For a man of so few words, it was amazing how convincing he could be. His presence alone seemed to coax me into giving him what he wanted.

"Please." He looked over at me and I huffed, kicking at the pebbles below. If I thought I was under pressure before, I could now sympathize with Giles Corey.

Training or no training, I was still incredibly self-conscious when singing one-on-one like this, especially with no background music to mask any mistakes I made or ensure I was in tune. Hopefully, I still had a decent ear.

"Jesus, I don't even know what to sing." I fidgeted slightly, trying to get myself comfortable without standing. "Alright, it's random, but, uh…"I cleared my throat and took a breath.

* * *

 **Delta Rae - Bottom of the River**

* * *

" _Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby it's a long way down to the bottom of the river.  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby it's a long way down, a long way down."_

The first lines came out scratchy. My voice wasn't ready and it wasn't like I was going to sit there and do warm ups. This was awkward enough.

" _If you get sleep, or if you get none,  
The cock's gonna call in the morning, baby.  
Check the cupboard for your daddy's gun,  
Red sun rises like an early warning."_

My voice finally came through and my volume steadily increased with my confidence.

 _"The Lord's gonna come for your first born son,  
His hair's on fire and his heart is burning.  
So go to the river where the water runs,  
Wash him deep where the tides are turning.  
And if you fall…  
And if you fall…  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby it's a long way down to the bottom of the river.  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby it's a long way down, a long way down."_

I hadn't even noticed myself stand, but I discovered I was also stomping a little to the beat.

 _"The wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight,  
Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger.  
Drive your son like a railroad spike,  
Into the river, let it pull him under.  
Don't you lift him, let him drown alive!  
The good Lord speaks like a rolling thunder.  
Let that river make the water rise, oh,  
And I said hold my hand!  
Ooh baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river.  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby, it's a long way down, a long way down.  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river.  
Hold my hand,  
Ooh baby it's a long way down, a long way down._"

It was silent for a few seconds and I realized I could hear an echo of the last line from across the water. Apparently, I was a louder than I initially thought, but it was easy to go overboard with this song. It was immediately followed by cheering, specifically male. If I had to guess, there were about four voices.

"Oh, fuck it all!" I buried my face in my hands. "They all heard."

"They all liked it," Dwayne corrected. I flipped them all off nonetheless, as though they could see me from this distance.

We sat in silence for a few seconds longer before he began to stand. I was soon whisked away on his bike and found myself at my apartment, again, too soon. Couldn't I just stay out forever? Like the others had before, Dwayne watched until he was sure I made it inside before I could hear his bike rumbling off. It was only then that I looked down at myself.

"Shiiiit." I had forgotten to give Paul his coat back AND to retrieve my car. However, that would need to wait until tomorrow. I didn't think toothpicks would have held my eyelids open at this point and I still needed to swap sheets from Jay's stay. As I pulled the door to my apartment open, the alarm sounded.

"God damn it." I smashed the code in with enough ferocity that I wasn't positive I didn't break it. "Thanks for the text," I grumbled before heading to my room. I hoped I woke them up.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hopefully Part 2 was a little more** **satisifying than the first bit. My questions for you this time around: What was up with Brenna's phone? And the weird hallucinations? Certainly sounds familiar... What did Marko mean by "our" Brenna? Leave a review with your guesses and I'll see you all on Wednesday!**


	8. Ready?

My eyelids cracked open just as the sun was setting, so I already considered today a success compared to the past few. Maybe I was starting to get back on track to a normal sleep schedule! Pfft, yeah. Like that would last long.

It was a quiet Saturday, as most Saturdays in that apartment complex were. The weekdays at Younghaven may have been obnoxious to try and live through - there was probably a party every night - but absolutely no one stayed on campus for the weekend. It transformed into a ghost town overnight. It was always weird, but not really surprising. Aside from an occasional Saturday football game at home in the home stadium, there wasn't a damn thing to do. Even students in the residence halls fled town.

I shuffled out of my room with my hair and makeup a mess. I seemed to have the apartment all to myself lately, so I was admittedly startled to find Jordan and Colette sitting in the living room, working on some sort of project together.

"Morning, guys." I stretched and yawned, ducking into the bathroom. They returned the greeting, but I could see a dash of judgment in both of their expressions. I tried my best to shove my annoyance to the back of my mind. I forgot that, with them, waking up late was somehow equivocal to failing as a human being. And god forbid you might allow yourself to be seen in public without a full face of makeup. When I emerged from my hiding space, hair at least pulled out of my face and makeup remnants removed, I planned on heading directly back to my room. However, I was interrupted by a knock at the door. Neither of my roommates seemed too bothered with answering so, with an eye roll, I decided I would just go get it. Was I just expected to do everything?

"Oh, hey!" I gladly pulled the door open after checking the peephole, mood immediately lifted. "Morning Michael!"

"Morning?" His smile was infectious. "Do you _know_ what time it is?"

"I'm kind of a night owl," I shrugged. "Always have been. College really brought out the worst of it, though. What's up?"

"Looking for more sugar, mostly. I also wanted to see how things were over here. It looked like something went down last night?" He gestured with his head to the holes in the wall from the fight between Jay and the Darts. Clearly, no attempt had been made to patch things up just yet.

"Ah…" I glanced behind myself, but it didn't seem like Colette or Jordan had taken any interest in what we were saying. "I'd rather discuss it outside." Better safe than sorry. I snatched the sugar and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind me quickly.

"Everything alright?"

"I don't want my roommates getting worried." My voice raised in a nasally manner at the end of the sentence to mock them as I passed Michael the plastic bag to hold. "They're more like my stepmothers than my friends. But, anyway, as far as last night went…" I began pouring the sugar into the container. "It sounded like there was a fight in the hallway. They actually managed to disconnect the power to my room, so I decided to go check it out. It turns out that this guy, Jay, was getting the snot kicked out of him by the Darts." Michael's bright smile vanished. I hadn't seen him look serious about anything thus far and it was decently unnerving. Maybe I should just lie…

"Hey, I thought we talked about it and you said you would come get me if they tried anything again?"

"Brenna?" I heard Jordan call. I decided to ignore her.

"There wasn't time," I cringed. I was honest to a fault. I couldn't help it. "Jack had what looked like a stake or something and seemed pretty intent on using it. A few threats from me and they were on their way, easily enough. By that point, there wasn't any reason to wake you up." He nodded, accepting my explanation, but still looked worried. "I threatened to call the cops, but I never did…I don't even know what to do now. I'm getting really concerned about my safety staying here, not to mention everyone else's, but Jay wasn't badly hurt and there aren't any cameras. It would be a case of he said she said that wouldn't get us anywhere and will probably just piss them off worse." I shrugged, arms slapping my sides on the way down.

"Brenna!" Jordan called again, sounding annoyed. I took a breath before continuing to talk with Michael.

"I really don't know what to do. I mean...You don't think they would have actually killed him...Right?" Michael was about to speak, but I cut him off when I heard my name being called yet again. I could already tell this wasn't going to be good. "Shit. Sorry, I'm gonna have to deal with this." I gave another exaggerated eye roll, shoving the rest of the sugar at him. "Just keep the sugar. I'll stop over for it later or something!" He just shook his head, smiling as he backed away toward his own apartment.

"Good luck," he offered.

"Brenna, we wanted to talk to you for a minute." Jordan, still seated in the living room, patted the armchair next to her indicating that I was to sit. Colette leaned forward in a very conspicuous way, trying to catch a glance of our mystery visitor before the door shut. It didn't look like she was successful, not like it mattered.

"What's up, guys?" I had forgotten how uncomfortable the cheap apartment furniture was until I sat down, but it was enhanced by the stiffness of the meeting.

"We saw who you left here with the other night." It was clear that Jordan would be doing all of the talking and Colette was just there to offer mostly insincere facial expressions that might have been something one could liken to sympathy. "We just wanted to say that we are worried you're falling in with the wrong crowd." I stared at her. She had to be kidding. "We've heard things about those biker guys, and we just don't want those rumors to start rubbing off on you. It sounds like all they do is drink and…" She lowered her voice, looking around the room as though someone was listening in. " _Smoke pot_. We don't want you becoming one of _those_ kinds of people."

I stared at them in absolute silence for several beats, fighting all expression out of my face. Really? That was their concern and reasoning for interrupting my conversation – that I was finding friends other than them since they weren't around anymore?

"Guys," I blinked a few times and began to stand, attempting to keep my temper in check despite immediately wanting to jump to the boys' defense. "I think I'll be fine."

"We're just very worried," Jordan insisted. "You've really changed since you got here."

"Ok, I'll keep it in mind," I snapped. As I walked away, clenching and unclenching my fists, I forced the corners of my mouth up to keep from pulling into a scowl. "By the way, happy birthday!" I called out, trying very hard not to slam the door to my room behind me. I was half successful.

I plopped down on the bed, but immediately stood up again, unable to be still. Me? Changed? They were the ones who were changing! Just because I went out to ONE party and on a couple motorcycle rides did not mean I was headed down the path to self-destruction. And fuck them! If they wanted me to hang out with a "respectable" crowd like the company they kept, then maybe they could invite me along on their way out the door instead of strolling right past me! Was I expected to just sit at the door, waiting for them to get home like their puppy to find out if I would have the _privilege_ of escorting them out for the evening? Fuck that.

I needed to busy myself with something else, but I couldn't sit still, so I decided to just start getting ready to go out. Where or with whom, I wasn't sure, but I was going to make a bang when I did. That was for sure. I rifled through my closet, picking out the edgiest and darkest clothes that I owned. The sweater I chose to drape over my black skinny jeans was entirely black save for the white eye sockets, nose, and teeth of a skull taking over the majority of the front. I laced up my favorite combat boots and threw Paul's jacket on as the cherry on top. They wanted to paint me as a bad guy? Fine. Might as well start going along with the role. I pulled out the darkest eyeshadow palette and lipsticks I owned and got to work.

* * *

 _"Come on, let's get you home." He attempted to guide her out the front door, but she wasn't making it easy. "You're drunk."_

 _"You know, you're reeaaal nice." She slurred, stumbling on the carpet, but managing to keep herself upright. "I dunno what I wooduv done without you here."_

 _"Hey," a girl she vaguely recognized grabbed her by the arm. "Are you ok?"_

 _"Yeah!" Her eyes were lidded and she was hardly able to hold them open._

 _"I mean, are you sure you want to be leaving with him?" The other woman eyed her companion. "Maybe you should stay here for a while and sober up first?"_

 _"I'm fine!" She jerked her arm back, nearly toppling over in the process. "He just needs a place to sleep for the night. It's not like that at all!" She knew the argument seemed flimsy, but she completely trusted this guy to not try anything. What was his name again? It didn't matter - he seemed like a perfect gentleman._

 _"Ok, just…Call me when you get home." The other woman conceded. "You're a grown woman, and even though this is really stupid, I can't exactly stop you."_

 _"Okayyyy, okayyyyyy…" She shooed the other woman off._

 _"And as for_ _you_ _." The companion jabbed a finger into his chest. "She's drunk as shit. You better not fuck around with her." He shook his head vigorously in a horizontal manner._

 _With his arm around her, once her friend left, he steered her toward the road and his car. He was getting lucky tonight! Almost home free! After just a few yards, however, she was beginning to feel winded._

 _"Woah there." She toddled to a halt. "Let's, uh…" She took a few more deep breaths through her nose. Not here...Please not here... "Let's take a break here for a second…"_

 _"Are you ok," he asked, attempting to put some distance between himself and the girl. Maybe she was a little more inebriated than he had initially suspected._

 _"Yeah, I'm totally…" Her eyes widened and clamped a hand over her mouth as quickly as she could. She didn't need to say anything more as she hurried off to the tree line. She kicked her heeled shoes off along the way, but she still barely made it in time for the contents of her stomach to violently stage a revolt against her body. At least she was out of view from anyone passing by. He winced at the sounds of her retching, following her for a few steps to make sure she was ok, debating how he should play the rest of this out. Was it worth trying to take her home at this point? Could he just leave while she had her back turned and pretend this never happened?_

 _But he would never have to worry about that. He barely even had time to react to the hands on either side of his face before they wrenched his head to the side in a twisting, jerking motion. It was like his body completely disconnected with his brain. In fact, it had. To his horror, he could not feel or move any part of himself. He was only supported by the individual behind him. All he was able to do was stare off at the girl in the distance, begging his lungs to draw breath, blinking. Praying._

 _"That's really no way to treat a lady…" Those words, spoken by a gravelly voiced man, were the last he would ever hear as he was tossed carelessly over the individual's shoulder._

 _By the time she stood up and turned around, she realized she was alone._

 _"Fucking prick…" She mumbled in dismay, wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve. "I didn't even puke that much…"_

* * *

Unfortunately for me, as my door banged open and I strutted into the living room donning my new style, I discovered that I ended up making my elaborate entrance for no one but the couch, an armchair, and 4 kitchen bar stools. Jordan and Colette were long gone. This only served to stoke my flames further. It was clear now that they were only hanging around earlier to give me a god damn lecture. Fuming, I continued to stomp out of the apartment complex and down the street. My feet seemed to know where they were carrying me even if I wasn't paying attention. I shoved headphones in my ears and trudged on. My hair was soggy, but the coat kept me warm enough in the autumn air. Soon enough the breeze would dry and style it into its usual curls and I would be fine. I just wished I could find a damn song on Pandora that resonated with me at the moment. I mashed the skip button again.

I realized quickly that Jordan and Colette had set me in a mood. I was mad at them, mad at my headphones for falling out of my ears every other step, mad at the breeze for blowing hair in my face, and eventually, I was mad at walking. I found the first bench I could and more or less threw myself onto it, but t wasn't until I took a few deep breaths and looked around that I realized I had been here before. It was the pavilion I stopped by the first night I came to Young Haven. My spot. I sighed and propped my feet up, looking out over the water. My walk had helped me sort out some of my emotions and I was beginning to realize that I was being kind of childish by getting mad at every minute thing that crossed my path.

What I realized was that, at the core, I was furious with Colette and Jordan for abandoning me. After all, it was her and my other New Haven friends that convinced me to move my life out here in the first place. Then, when I finally show up, they all have their own friends to get back to and I'm just some charity case to them. Were they only going to be my friends when I was getting broken up with? Were they only acting like they were my friends because they felt sorry for me? The last time I had been rejected friends like this was probably back in high school and the sting was now unfamiliar and, as a result, extra harsh.

However, I also recognized that I was upset with myself for not being home more often and actually bonding with my roommates which might have altered the way this entire year was shaping out. I was jealous that they had this great connection and that it made me feel like an outsider. The truth was, they had tried to involve a few times me before but my own pride prevented me from going out with them. I was too envious of the two of them having a great friendship together that I didn't stop to think about the fact that maybe all three of us could have formed a relationship. Now, even if I wanted to try and fix things, I had no idea where to start.

And yet, just when I was starting to think reasonably, I felt my pocket buzz.

"I don't understand why you're acting this way," Jordan typed, and I felt my cheeks already flushing. "We only want what's best for you!" It was followed up with a smiley face and heart emoji. What a fucking bitch. I glared at the words, clenching my hand into a fist around the phone to keep myself from chucking it into the river. I was on my feet and pacing when I realized that probably wouldn't be the best idea. Mentally, I had traveled right back into the argument where it had left off in the living room.

It felt like so much longer, but in reality, I only met Marko on Wednesday. That was 4 days ago. At most, I was wearing extra makeup and a different coat. I was the exact same person I was before I met Marko with the same interests and values. But, even if I wanted to try some new things, what impact did the boys have on the person I was inside? And who were my roommates to tell me what I could and couldn't do? I would be legally allowed to drink very soon. Would they look down upon me for choosing to enjoy an adult beverage as well? And, honestly, I didn't see the huge deal with weed, either. I had just never done it. College was supposed to be a time to experiment and have fun. Maybe that wasn't their cup of tea, but how dare they try to tell me I would be less of a person for trying to experience something new! I joked about it before, but they were really starting to act like my parents used to and I was _not_ looking for a replacement set.

I wondered if this fight was something inevitable or if it could have been fixed. Maybe we were all just growing apart and this was an inevitable part of that process. Jordan and Colette always seemed predestined for this white picket fence life with great jobs, rich husbands, and perfect houses with two perfect children and a perfect dog in their perfect fucking suburbanite lifestyle. While I told myself that was something I wanted…It wasn't. I wasn't sure if it was because my own family had broken so badly, but I just couldn't see myself leading that life. Not now, at least. Now I deserved to be young and free while I still had a chance! I was told once to enjoy college because it would be the last time in my life that I would ever be living my life for myself and no one else. I lived my first college experience for my ex, Ethan. I didn't want to make that mistake again.

I sounded so certain in my head, but my heart was lost. These friends in Young Haven were what made me sane again after the previous school year's failures. Without them, I wouldn't be here. I might not even be in school, let alone pulling the grades I was. I owed them a lot. At the very least, they deserved a chance to sit down and talk things out. On the other hand, I felt more welcome with these boys, nearly perfect strangers, then with people I had known for a quarter of my existence. That just wasn't right. The boys didn't judge me for my friends outside of their group. They might not meld with my compatriots so well, but the boys never had a negative thing to say. They didn't ask me to give anyone up. Colette and Jordan did. My roommates didn't give me a direct ultimatum, but I felt it was most definitely implied. And, in my experience, if someone demands that you choose between them and another person…You never choose the one listing demands. Wasn't there a way I could just keep them both?

My phone buzzed again, but when I saw Jordan's name flash across the screen, I decided to shove it back into my pocket rather than open myself up to becoming enraged again. As I did, my hands brushed past a small box of some sort. Curious, I pulled it out and discovered that they were Paul's cigarettes. Those were supposed to help with stress, right? Should I…? No. I put them back and placed my hands gripped on the pavilion railing, tightening until my knuckles turned white. I looked over the barricade and stared into my reflection in the clear, calm water below. This really sucked. The only people I could turn to for advice were the only people I couldn't go to at all. The song changed over on my iPod and I just let it play.

* * *

Stateless - Bloodstream

* * *

" _Wake up, look me in the eyes again.  
_ _I need to feel your hand upon my face.  
_ _Words can be like knives,  
_ _They can cut you open.  
_ _And the silence surrounds you,  
_ _And hunts you..._ _"_

My grip loosened on the railing and I contented myself with leaning against the bars, enjoying the breeze on my face and the scent of the damp earth and river. My shell bracelet jingled as I rested my chin on my hands, calling my attention back to it. I had forgotten it was even still attached to me. I traced my fingers over the beads, stopping to rub at the small bird in a therapeutic manner. It had become my way of handling anxiety and I felt certain that some of the bird's features had already been rubbed down due to overuse. I was tired of living my life like this - at the beck and call of Jordan and Colette. Tired of living for other people. It was time that I lived for myself. That's all I had for certain. That was maybe the one positive takeaway I had from the death of Joshua. I had to live for myself.

" _I think I might've inhaled you.  
_ _I could feel you behind my eyes.  
_ _You've gotten into my bloodstream.  
_ _I could feel you floating in me._ "

I held in a shriek when I felt someone lightly touch my shoulder, but I was glad I held it in. "Jesus Christ, David!" I yelled, yanking my headphones out. I must have had my volume up way too loud if I couldn't hear his bike over it. And there it sat, purring away.

"Relax," he grinned, pulling out his own cigarettes. I was annoyed that he found this amusing. As always, he offered me one before lighting his own and, as always, I turned it down. See? I wasn't so different! "What has you so tightly wound?"

"Fight with the roommates," I spit out. "They're pissed off I'm hanging out with you guys. They say you're a bad influence on me."

"Well, they _are_ right," he smirked. "I _am_ a terrible influence." I snorted, drumming my fingers on the railing, expression like I had swallowed something sour. "You gonna be alright? Maybe a ride would help you clear your thoughts?"

"Yeah," I sighed, shaking my head and running a hand through my hair. I realized that I had started shaking my head around the point that I got to the pavilion and hadn't really stopped since. "Fuck 'em." Tucking everything away, I followed David, settling onto the back of his bike. It somehow seemed more dangerous, or more powerful, than the ones belonging to the others. He seemed to notice my apprehension.

"You think you're ready for this?" It felt like he was referencing a lot of things at once.

"I think I am." I curled tighter around his midsection. "Just get me the hell away from here."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Okay, okay - don't kill me! That's the actual end of this chapter. No updates until next week. :( I know it kind of feels like filler, but I promise you, a lot of very important things just happened if you were looking carefully enough. ;)**

 **As always, thanks to ShiplessOceans and JakkiiSukaru for the reviews and predictions! Thank you all for reading and I'll see you all next Wednesday!**


	9. One of Us

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I just desperately with that I did.**

* * *

I hated that David was always right. His smug satisfaction had a way of getting under my skin even when his correctness benefitted me in some way. And, once again, he was right. The ride certainly did take my mind off of everything wrong in my life, particularly my two overly protective roommates, but that's probably because I was too focused on my own survival to throw myself a pity party. David rode _hard_.

"I thought Paul said you were getting good at this," he teased me over the wind. "But you seem _very_ uncomfortable." I had nearly kissed the pavement on the last turn and my nails were beginning to dig into his leather jacket. Good. I hoped I ruined it.

"I'm good," I assured him, determined not to give him any voluntary notion that I wanted to tap out. It was like he was intentionally trying to push my buttons and see what made me tick. In any case, if I didn't see this through to the end, I was positive I would never hear the end of it from David or the rest of the boys.

We quickly took a turn down a side street I hadn't anticipated and I wondered what was up. We pulled into the driveway or a two story, dilapidated house. Its siding was white with dark brown wood accents surrounding its windows and boarded up front door. A red, well-worn Young Haven flag hung from the front porch beside an odd stone angel statue. It wasn't a place I was familiar with, but a party was in full swing. I could hear it clear as day.

* * *

 **The Chemical Brothers - Don't Think**

* * *

"I thought we would be headed to the cave? Or Crandall?"

"Why, Brenna, I didn't know you were interested in spending time alone with me!" I held off from smacking David. The others I wouldn't have a problem with, but David…His presence alone commanded respect.

"Ass," I settled with grumbling.

"Crandall has nothing going on tonight and the cave is for private parties _only_. Not many people have been invited to see it."

"Well _thank_ you for the high honor," I curtseyed at him. "But, seriously, don't we need some sort of invite to get in here?"

"It's a friend's house. There won't be any issues." I was beginning to develop the feeling that David was being secretive on purpose. "Now, come on, let's not keep everyone waiting."

He walked with one hand on the small of my back, always alert. I couldn't decide if I felt more like I was being guarded or trapped at his side. Ultimately, as my eyes darted around in the shadowed alleys we passed, I realized that I felt safer and more at ease with David than I would have alone. No goons on the street would try to harass me with him as a bodyguard. Plus, rather than attempting to wedge my way through the sweaty mass of party goers on the inside and worrying about getting groped or knocked around, the room essentially parted itself as we strolled in. I had to be careful – I could get used to this kind of treatment.

It was hard to take in much of the house's décor due to the sheer amount of people packed in, all dressed like something out of a bad eighties movie (I had to assume it was some sort of theme night,) but the structure definitely had the vibe of a party house: large open spaces, not a lot of furniture, sticky floors, and bare walls. If I didn't know any better, I would think the place was abandoned when it wasn't being used to throw parties. It was certainly old, and I couldn't help but feel bad. Given some TLC, it would be gorgeous. The crown molding, dark wood floors, and original crystal doorknobs…Now, it might as well be demolished when these people moved out.

A buzzing in my pocket distracted me and, extracting my phone from my pocket, I found a text from Lacy Kenstrut. She was a friend of a friend who I rarely heard from, so this was particularly puzzling.

"Check Facebook." That was all it said. Confused, I opened the app. I didn't have to hunt for what Lacy meant. It was the first post in my news feed:

"Missing from Young Haven, OH. Please help us get her home." A large picture of Miriam was inserted below the text. I hadn't realized I stopped moving until David doubled back, nonplused. The phone nearly slipped out of my fingers. "She was last seen Friday evening leaving Young Haven State University in her beige Nissan Centra. If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Miriam…" The post went on to list contact information for local law enforcement. As I stared at her senior portrait, my mind wouldn't stop superimposing over it the image I thought I had seen at the cave: Miriam, bloodied and without eyeballs, screaming.

"I, uh…" My mouth was suddenly very dry. I could tell I wasn't really processing the information and just held my phone screen out in front of me, dumbstruck.

"Come on." He pressed through the crowd with renewed energy, one arm around me tightly now. He guided me up the stairs of the house, pushing aside some sort of rope meant to discourage random party guests from traveling this way. I ran into Paul on the way to wherever we were headed. He was carrying two beer bottles per hand over his head to prevent them from getting knocked away from him.

"Ayyy!" He shouted as he walked past, awkwardly hugging me while trying to maintain control over his drinks. I was promptly grabbed again and hurried past him by David. Paul seemed to notice something was amiss but, with one glance at the other blonde, decided not to ask questions and instead head into the crowd below. David proceeded to pull me toward what I discovered was a lime green bedroom. Much like the rest of the house, it too was sparse and seemed like it wasn't really lived in. I vaguely wondered whose room we were taking over, but couldn't seem to form the words at the moment. It was like all the energy had drained out of me through my feet. My limbs felt dead and difficult to move, and my thoughts were sluggish. My mouth hung slightly open, flickers of different emotions passing through my mind too fast for me to process them. What _should_ I be feeling right now? I wasn't feeling anything. Should I be feeling something? Sad? Angry?

"Hey," Marko greeted me excitedly. I hadn't even noticed him in the room. I tried to give him a smile, but the end result was something closer to a grimace. I had never focused so hard on forcing my mouth into a smile before, and now I felt like I was doing a bad impression of myself. "Glad to see you survived the trip here!" He glanced between David and me. David rolled his eyes. I just quietly sat down on the bed, staring at my feet. "Woah...What's up?"

"Miriam's missing…" It felt even weirder to say out loud.

"Oh." There wasn't a whole lot more to say than that. He hardly knew her at all. "I'm sorry…"

"I just saw her the other day…" Someone was draping something over my shoulders. I hadn't noticed, but I was beginning to shiver a little violently. I realized the gesture was being performed by Jay. His face was covered with some sort of kiss-like makeup and I hardly recognized him at first.

"You guys go join the party." He told Marko and David. "I'll stay with her until she's ready to come down." David vanished almost immediately and Marko gave my shoulder a squeeze of reassurance on his way out the door.

We sat in silence for quite a while. I had been switching off between staring at a notch in the wooden floor, trying to memorize its every detail to block the tidal wave of thoughts trying to force through to the forefront of my mind, and opening Facebook to look at the comments on Miriam's wall. I thought I would have been used to dealing with loss by now, especially when it came to someone who wasn't very close to me at all. Or maybe that was exactly the issue - that I had lost so much already that the experiences were starting to bleed into each other.

"Talk to me Brenna," Jay eventually coaxed.

"I'm just…" I searched for the words. "I never expected her. I hardly even knew her, but she was - is- a really good person. She doesn't deserve this. And I was so annoyed by her when we went to the haunted house, I dragged her through and terrified her and…Those are going to be my last memories of her." My hand found its way into my hair.

"Did they find a body?" I saw where Jay's thoughts were headed.

"No, they didn't, but from everything I've heard 'missing' is synonymous with 'murdered' around here. I don't think I'll be seeing her again." I didn't have to look over to know he was frowning.

"Maybe just think of the positive side of the other day: you got to hang out with her in person at least once?" I nodded. It didn't take away any of the guilt, but it was something to hold onto. I refreshed the comment section of the missing person post again. Why was I doing this to myself? "Let's just put that away for the night," Jay reached across me to steal my phone and set it on the bedside table. "And let's take it easy for a bit." He pulled my legs up onto the bed so I was no longer sitting, but lounging instead. "Take some deep breaths and I'm going to go find you a drink. You like Coke, right?" I nodded. "I'll be right back." Before he left, he took a moment to place a hand on my shoulder, looking deeply into my eyes. "You're going to be ok, you know that? You're tough. Just give it time and you're going to feel like your old self again before the day is over." With that, he disappeared, presumably to go find me a drink as he had promised. Through the floorboards, I could hear the base thumping. It was strange how oblivious they could all be. None of them probably even knew who Miriam was, let alone what had happened to her

* * *

 _He dismounted the red Honda when he found the perfect location. It hadn't taken him very long, which was a pleasant surprise considering he was on a time crunch. The selected house was two stories tall, surrounded by abandoned properties, and h_ _e couldn't ask for more. There would certainly be no chances of a noise complaint this way, not that the police strayed this far from the center of the city. There was an unspoken rule in this town when it came to crime: as long as you didn't do your dirty deeds near the campus, the PD wouldn't bother to come knocking. They knew better by now._

 _That's why it was so easy for him to casually stroll up to the side door and bust the deadbolt with one solid kick._

 _'Oh god, what the hell was that? Did he hear it too?'_

 _There would probably be an investigation when this was over with, but it would never turn anything up. There were too many arsons and missing person reports in the area to give proper attention to any individual case. The police had more important things to worry about than a couple of murdered drop outs. By judge of the lack of family portraits within the house, the tenants would hardly be missed. He could hear the two of them scuttling around on the second floor now, well aware of the danger below. Did they have a plan, he wondered? Had they ever considered that one day this could happen to them? It wasn't likely. No one ever did. He waited to see if anyone would greet him, but it sounded like they would rather hide than fight. That was fine by him. It wasn't as much fun, but it simplified things, at least._

 _'Why us? Is it someone we know? Is there more than one? Oh god, I'm not ready to die...'  
_

 _He checked his watch with a sigh. The sun had set maybe an hour ago leaving him with precious little time to evict the current occupants and purge the house of any artifacts hinting to the actual owners before she, or the other guests, arrived. Pictures, trophies, personalized mugs…They all had to go. As he toured the first floor, he began tossing it all into a rug in the center of the room for an easier cleanup. He could drag it out back later to burn. It wouldn't be a clean "in and out" requested, but hopefully, that would be satisfactory for David. The prick._

 _'We just have to stay quiet. If they want our stuff, maybe they won't bother us if we're quiet...'_

 _He couldn't pretend he wasn't bitter about the task. This wasn't supposed to be his job. He was supposed to be worrying about starting up his own group in Young Haven...But then she moved in across the damn hall from him. Now he was back to taking orders, something he had quickly grown tired of, based on a pet interest of David's. And when had he proven himself so worthy of their unquestioning obedience? It was just another difference between himself and his brothers. They were such a tight-knit pack - never argued, never stepped on each others' toes, had their own little niche - but not him. He knew it wasn't really their fault. He wasn't exactly sought out by the guys for this lifestyle. He was inducted as a byproduct of Max's plans for his mother and his brothers accepted him in without question. They could have abandoned him to figure things out for himself. That's not to say they were best friends, by any means. He and David butted heads all the time. __When the tension eventually grew to a dangerous level, it was Max himself who suggested a change of scenery. Of course, they all knew the real reason was going to be more selfishly motivated than he was letting on. And, of course, it was. It just landed them all in another mess. At least this one worked out for Max._

 _'Please...Please...Not up the stairs...'_

 _He took his annoyance out on the stairs as he stomped_ _up them, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his nose. This helped relax him while simultaneously enabling him to gather information about the tenants of the house. He could only smell two people, so his suspicions were confirmed about the number of occupants. Conveniently, they were both concealing themselves in the same room. At least he could deal with them both at the same time. He carefully shut the door behind him as he entered the master bedroom and took in the setting. Lime green walls? A strange choice, but who was he to judge? He began to pull the blinds down one by one in a methodic fashion- no need to put on a show for any early arrivals. He then turned to face the closet where the two young adults had hidden_ _._

 _'Oh god...I can see his feet...If I just don't breathe...'_

 _Tonight's script was supposed to go very differently both for the house's tenants and for himself. He had decided that tonight was his night to put her through a few tests, none of which involved murdering the occupants of a home in order to throw a themed party. Maybe if he had gotten that opportunity, he would have convinced her to come to them of her own volition instead of tricking her. __But, no, her roommates had to ruin that by pissing her off. Now, not only had they made more work for him, but they also unwittingly canceled his plans, therefore ending the lives of two young adults. Jordan and Colette had fucked that up for them all, it seemed._

 _'What is he doing? Why is he just standing there like that?'_

 _It didn't matter how many years he had been alive at this point, girls never made any sense. Didn't they see what they were doing to her? They were so concerned about her safety that they couldn't see how they were pushing her right into their welcoming arms. Honestly, the more he thought about it...Maybe this wasn't a terrible direction for the guys to take. There was still the issue of the lie at the end, but it was less work than forcing a car accident. Maybe that's how he'd do things from here on out…But those dreams could wait. For now, he had work to do._

 _"Hey, guys." He yanked the closet door open to find the man and woman squished against the back corner of the closet as though the clothes would have concealed them from him. He rolled his eyes, ripping the clothes off of the rack. "I'm gonna need to borrow your house for the night. I hope that isn't going to be an issue?" The woman began to scream, dragging the man in front of herself as a sort of human shield. This was going to be a long night...But least he had some snacks._

* * *

It took me a couple hours, but Jay was right – I did eventually pass through shock and mostly accepted what happened. There were some random bursts of tears now and again, but I wasn't really what I could consider sad anymore. I just felt...Weird. In the end, Miriam and I weren't that close. It didn't feel right mourning her loss when I hardly even knew her. I was sad, but that was to be expected. I mostly just felt...Like I said, weird, although I couldn't quite place my finger on the reason why.

My recovery period was drastically accelerated, I'm sure, with the constant rotation of my boys. They seemed on a mission to keep me laughing and smiling. I was appreciative of the gesture but also felt guilty, worried I had inconvenienced them out of a good time downstairs because I couldn't keep my shit together. They insistent I hadn't, and I was about to argue, but that's when Marko and Paul came charging up the stairs with a bottle of liquor and as many shot glasses as they could carry.

"What are you doing," I questioned, realizing that the boys were all in the room at once for the first time that night.

"Bringing the party to you!" Paul began pouring shots of Jose Cuervo Gold as quickly as he could, distributing them to everyone in the room. I shifted in my seat. Like I expected, they offered me one. I declined, as I had been preparing to do from the moment I realized what they were carting with them.

"Sorry, I can't." My tone was a bit short despite trying to sound pleasant.

"Aaand, why is that?" Marko had a sneaky smile that made me narrow my eyes in suspicion.

"I told you guys, I'm waiting until I'm twenty-one." I swore we had just discussed this yesterday.

"Oh, good." He shoved the small glass back toward me. "If that's all, then happy birthday!" Per Jay's instructions, my phone had remained untouched. But, as I grabbed it off the table, sure enough, it was midnight and the date had officially changed over. I had once again forgotten the date of my own birthday.

"Welp," I took the drink, shrugging at my lack of argument. "I guess it is." I clinked my shot glass with Marko first, followed by the rest of the boys, tossing back the liquid and licking my lips.

"Ahhhhh…I love tequila" I sighed. Everyone laughed.

"Look at you, takin' it like a champ!" Paul punched me in the shoulder. "No shot face or nothin'!"

"I told you all that I drink!" I punched him right back. "Just not in public places. I didn't think I needed to prove it!"

"Well, now that I can say I got you your first _legal_ drink," Paul began to stand. "Why don't we give the rest of the party a try?"

"You know what," I stood as well. "Let's do it."

* * *

 **Krewella - Party Monster**

* * *

The second drink of the night was long gone minutes into the party and a third drink found its way into my hand, something called a Red Hot Lover. I had to hand it to Paul – he sure knew how to make a drink, even if the names were cheesy. A little liquid courage and great song selection ended up coaxing me onto the dance floor for the second time in my life.

All I needed to hear were the opening words to one of my favorite songs and I was racing down the steps, practically throwing my drink at Jay to hold. It was one song I couldn't hold myself still for. I didn't care who saw, or who I was dancing with. My hands flew into the air, clapping and cheering, and my hair whipped around me. I was becoming very upset with myself for not trying out the party scene sooner. This was a blast! The lights, the fog, and just the feeling of letting go.

I wore myself out fast, unfortunately, and needed some air after just one song. I had a pretty good buzz going and had a feeling that the boys had been giving me weak drinks on purpose, testing my limits. Well, at least I wasn't puking.

"Having fun?" Jay knew it was me before I had even sat down, taking swigs of Red Stag directly from the bottle.

"Holy shit, yes!" I lay back, allowing my shoulders to rest against the porch. "I could do this every night!" He snorted, then appeared to be thinking something over.

"Why don't we play a game?" He stood up, pulling me to my feet with him. My head swam for a moment and I realized I might have been worse off than I thought. He led me first to the kitchen, pulling some red solo cups from a cabinet, and then brought me to a folding table set up in the entranceway. He started rearranging the cups in a pyramid formation, sliding the rest over to me, wordlessly. I understood that I was to do the same.

"Ok, one on one," Jay smirked. "I'll even go easy on you. What do you want to wager?"

"You really think that I can't beat you?" I crossed my arms, one brow quirked.

"No. But that's ok Brenna, you don't even have to beat me. You just have to keep up." My jaw dropped partly. Cocky bastard. "Ok, now, pay close attention, because the rules are very hard. Ready? You just need to get the _ball_ in the _cup_."

"Ok, fine." I walked over and dropped the ping pong ball in one of his cups. "I did it. So now, I believe, you drink." I pushed the Red Stag toward him. He just stared at me. "You gonna go on with the rest of the rules now, smartass?"

"Alright, you need to THROW your ball into one of my cups from over _there_. If the ball goes in, they take the cup off the table and drink. You can try to bounce the ball, but once it touches the table or the rim of a cup, it can be caught or swatted away. Island cups count for two if you call it ahead of time, none of you don't. You get one rerack and one celeb shot. If you knock over a cup, you lose it and drink. You get a redemption at the end of the game before you lose."

"And then there are our house rules…" His smile grew. "For now, just worry about the Freshman Cup." He pointed to the cup in the dead center of his rack. "If you hit this cup first, you can take your choice: play with your pants off or from your knees until you hit another one. Other than that, we use NBA Jam. I'll let you know about that if it ever comes up. Any questions?"

"I'll be honest – I only heard about half of your little speech, so I'm just going to start throwing shit, kay?" The room was starting to move around noticeably on me. Maybe I _did_ drink those drinks a bit too fast. "Who shoots first?"

"We both shoot to see who goes first," he readied the ball. "But we have to look each other directly in the eyes as we throw." I raised my gaze to meet his. He was trying to look serious and intimidating, I could tell, so I had to do the opposite by bobbing my head around to the music and making something like a duck face.

"One," he counted out. "Two. Three." Something flickered beneath his stare. He hit and I missed, my hand not seeming to work right for a second. "Me first." He grinned.

"Ok, fair and square." I smiled, leaning on the table and tucking my hands beneath my chin. "But, hey, Jay…What's _this_ cup again?" I nodded toward his ball which landed in the dead center of the rack.

"God damn it…" He grumbled, rolling his eyes and dropping to his knees.

Regardless of my advantage, I did not appear to be off to a good start. The first couple of shots at least hit the table, but the third whizzed completely past it.

"This might be the easiest game I've ever played!" He taunted, sinking yet another shot. I groaned, grabbing for the Red Stag and knocking over a cup of mine meaning it was now counted out. Whiskey and I had never gotten along well.

"Shit." I took two large gulps, wiping my mouth off on the back of my sleeve. I was using the table to support myself somewhat now. I only had five of my ten cups left on the table.

"You sure you're going to be able to hang in there for the rest of the game?"

"I'll fine," I slurred, waving him off and stumbling plainly for everyone to see.

"What was that?" He snickered.

"I'm grrrreat!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that…" He smiled, confident he had this game all wrapped up. "You know, we have another house rule: if you don't hit a single cup in a game, you have to run around the house naked." My eyes widened. I redoubled my efforts.

I hit the front center cup my next turn which at least kept me safe from stripping at any point during this game. He hit another: six cups left on my side. I hit another and I had no idea how I managed it.

"So, now you say you're heating up." Jay informed me. "If you hit another cup, you say you're on fire and you can keep shooting until you miss." We both made it.

I managed to hit one more, he hit two. The score was now three to six in Jay' favor. We traded off a few more shots, each of us hitting one now and again, but very quickly, we were sitting at one to four. Jay made the last cup.

"Damn, kid," Paul slapped my back. "You got spanked!"

"She still has the redemption" Jay reminded him as well as me. "And a rerack. Do you know how you want to set them up?" I shook my head. I was barely holding my eyes open. "Let's just go with a landing strip, nice and simple." He lined them up in a straight line for me. "Now, you just shoot until you miss."

"Ooookay, so I just have to hit THOSE four cupsss," I gestured, one eye closed, giving a good impression of Jack Sparrow. "Then what?"

"IF you hit all four, we go into overtime."

"An what're we betting again?"

"Nothing, yet. How about if I win, I get to pick your drinks for the rest of the night."

"Pfffffffft…" I spilled some of the water Marko tried forcing me to drink, then slammed the cup down on the table. "Youu got it, bub."

"But if you win…"

"If you win, I'll pull something from my special reserve" David stepped in. I realized that all of the boys had gathered around the table at this point, along with some party guests as well. I hadn't thought about it until then, but the boys really had a bad habit of vanishing and reappearing throughout our nights together. I had to wonder where they went.

"I'ssounds like either way Imma get shiffaced. I'ss lose-lose" I pointed out.

"It's your twenty-first birthday!" Marko felt the need to remind me. "If you remember any part of tonight, we've failed you as your friends."

"You make a fair point, Marlo!" He held in his laughter at the name I had chosen for him. "Awright. I'ssa deal. Eccept for two things. One, no more whiskey!" I pointed at Jay and he held his hands up, agreeing. "An two," I let go of the table, beginning to stand straight, crossing my arms. "I'm not. That. Drunk." I over-annunciated each word. I heard Paul and Marko laughing to each other. I was glad they got the reference.

Shot one: sunk. Shot two: sunk. Shot three: sunk.

"I thought you said you never played before!" Jay was incredulous.

"No, actually, I didn't say that at all." I smiled sweetly. "You assumed that I hadn't played before and I let you."

"You little sneak!" He began to realize what was going on. "You hustled me!"

"I mean, if you want to get technical, I hustled David. He's the one with something to lose right now. The only thing I'll be taking from you in just a few minutes is your pride." Looking over at David, I discovered that he was fixated on me and didn't look upset in the least. On the contrary, he looked quite like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"So, what was I supposed to do again, Jay? Put the _ball_ in the _cup_?" I sunk the fourth shot and the group that had gathered roared. "What's that sound?" I put my hand up to my ear. "I think that sounds like OVERTIME BABY!" I high fived Dwayne watching Jay guzzle Red Stag.

We racked up three cups each for overtime, but the game was over before it even started. I was sobering up by degrees while Jay was steadily heading downhill. I hit all three cups first and, although he had a shot at redemption, he missed entirely.

"Cheer up, Jay!" I put an arm around him. "The good news is that you hit one cup, so I won't make you run around the house naked!" I clinked my beer against the remainder of the bottle of whiskey my competitor would need to finish.

It was long after the bars closed by the time we strolled out of the house. Jay, although clearly drunk, was holding it together surprisingly well until he hit fresh air.

"So, who's taking him home?" Dwayne made a gagging face and thumbed everyone's attention over to the bushes where Jay had his head buried.

"The pipsqueak's ready to learn!" Paul tousled my hair at which point I realized something was on it. Apparently, I had stolen someone's snapback while at the party. I didn't remember doing that. How drunk was I? I checked out the front logo out and, unimpressed, tossed it over my shoulder to land in the house's front yard. I would have felt bad if it wasn't trashed already. It was like half of the house's belongings had been dumped into the front yard as fuel for their bonfire.

"Guys, I'm sober enough for pong, but I'm not learning how to drive a bike tonight."

"Oh, come on, you'll be fine," Marko chimed in. "You know the saying: study drunk, test drunk, score…"

"You're thinking of getting high, _Marlo,_ " I teased, clearly using the name on purpose this time.

"Hey, you're right! That's a great idea!"

"Jesus Christ guys, focus! Who's taking pukey home?" At that moment Jay decided to rejoin the group. He appeared considerably less green, but still not at all coherent.

"Ok, I'll take him," Dwayne volunteered as Marko helped hoist him onto the bike.

"And you'll be with me." David. I gulped, remembering our last ride, but it would be determined that my fears were unfounded. Maybe it was because I wasn't exactly sober, or maybe it was because he was with the rest of the group or that I had finally proved myself in some way. Regardless, when we got on the bikes and were on our way, the trip was so tame that I had to believe it was intentional.

It was nearly 5:00 in the morning when we got to the cave. We all settled into our respective seats and Marko brought out a round of drinks for everyone but Jay who resolutely refused as he sat with his head between his legs, forehead resting on the coffee table. As with the rest of the night, I couldn't help but notice how it seemed like Jay and I were constantly moving in opposite directions, only meeting in the middle for the briefest of windows. As he sobered up, I started drinking again.

We had fallen into a lull in conversation so, following a previous suggestion I made at the party, Marko looked over at me, winking, and turned to Paul.

"Hey, man, do you happen to know what this pillow is for?" Paul grimaced, knowing what was coming next.

"It's decorative." He barely got the whole word out before Marko smashed him in the face with it. Jay glared over at the two of them who were now tousling. He was clearly on the side of sober that made you never want to drink again, rubbing his eyes and hissing in pain as some of the grease paint ran into them. I dug into my purse, happy I had brought with me some makeup removing wipes in case I decided to spend the night this time. I pulled my hair back, untucking the side strands as I usually did, and removed a tissue for myself before gently handing off the rest of the pack to Jay. I received another wordless grunt of appreciation out of him and I vaguely wondered if he was actually capable of saying the words "thank you." Leaning back into my seat again, a pillow came soaring across the room at me, knocking my glasses askew.

"Hey, watch it!" I attempted to sound threatening, but I couldn't keep a straight face. If it was a pillow fight they wanted, it was a pillow fight they would get! However, before jumping into the war zone, I decided it would probably be best to tuck my glasses away before I lost or broke them. I was terribly nearsighted and would rather blind myself by choice for the moment than risk having my glasses permanently smashed. There was no way I could afford another pair without insurance. Besides, I could mostly survive without them.

Just as I was about to return decorative pillow fire, however, David beckoned Marko over to himself. He whispered something to his friend that sent Marko trailing off into the caves and I watched him disappear with curiosity.

"How's your birthday going so far," Dwayne asked. Clearly, he remembered our conversation from the other night.

"Perfect."

"Wait, Brenna, you said your birthday is today," Jay asked, and I figured he was kidding around. No glasses meant no reading facial expressions clearly.

"Yeah. As in November third." I looked around at the others, shrugging. "You know, the whole reason we even partied together tonight?"

"November third." He seemed to be talking to himself now. "There's something…Huh. That date..."

"I suppose I should make good on my end of that bet from earlier," David cut in. "I hate to watch a good party die."

"Yeah, you said something about your 'special reserve'?"

"It's a very special kind of wine. Only one bottle in existence." David leaned forward, his eyes bright once more, even in the dim firelight. "They say that the Greek god Dionysus himself gifted this particular plant to man in ancient times. It grew in solitude, shielded from outsiders by the god's own followers, allowing only the worthy to partake of its branches. From that vine's grapes came a wine that was said to turn men into gods themselves. But!" I hadn't noticed how drawn into the story I was until David suddenly sat back. I blamed my level of intoxication, but it seemed like the whole room had fallen silent, absorbed by the story. Maybe it was just me. "Alas, its location was lost to time. When an explorer finally relocated the fabled fruit, they dug up the vine, killing it and claiming the last of the spoils for themselves…"

As if on cue, Marko showed up with a bottle in hand. It looked incredibly old and ornate, decorated with hammered gold and gems of different colors, mostly red and gold. As it was brought closer, I realized that it also appeared to have been broken and repaired at one point. Fine lines ran across one area near the base in particular. David removed the cork gingerly and passed the bottle under his nose, inhaling the scent before bringing it to his lips, tilting his head back, and tasting it. His eyelids fluttered shut and he inhaled sharply through his nose, tilting his head forward again. I abruptly found myself held with his icy gaze as he handed the bottle to me.

"Drink some of this, Brenna." I swallowed hard. I didn't believe for a second that the bottle contained the actual nectar of the gods, but based on how everyone in the room was reacting, it might as well have been. "Be one of us."

"Brenna?" A lot of emotions flashed through Jay's face, but I couldn't make out what they meant without my typical eyewear.

" _Brenna!...Brenna!..."_ The rest of the boys all began to quietly chant. I examined the bottle for myself, now, turning it over in my hands. All eyes were on me, Jay's in particular. It set me on edge, but I was so curious about the wine. I licked my lips subconsciously.

"Brenna?" David brought me back to the task at hand, but it seemed like Jay was at my side in an instant.

"Brenna!" He placed his hand on mine, preventing me from raising the bottle to my mouth. "Don't! I mean…You don't have to do this." I eyed him curiously. What was he getting on about? I really didn't mind having another drink. Did he still think I was lying about being ready to get drunk now that I was over the age limit? Or was he afraid I was going to puke? "It's…It's poison." He didn't sound very convincing.

I looked the container over one more time, trying not to laugh. Nectar of the gods, poison…What were they playing at? David drank it himself, so clearly it couldn't be anything dangerous…Right?

"Yeah, ok." I took my hand and the bottle back. I laughed again before swinging the bottle up and taking a tentative swig. My taste buds were still too confused from all the previous drinks to actually register this one properly, but it didn't seem to taste like anything poisonous, so I tilted the bottle back a second time to allow the liquid to more easily slide down my throat. Chugging wine was never a pleasant experience, but actually…This didn't particularly taste like anything. Maybe I should have cut myself off earlier.

"Bravo!" David hollered over the rest of the shouting, clapping his gloved hands together, and the others began to hoot and holler.

"You're one of us, bud!" Paul gripped my shoulder as another round of chanting started up, and I couldn't keep myself from smiling, even if I didn't totally understand why we were celebrating. I probably should have been more disturbed than I was when one voice, in particular, seemed to linger on after all the others had stopped.

" _Brenna…_ " It whispered. " _Brenna…_ …"

* * *

 **Author's Note: And that's another chapter in the books. At this point, we have officially passed the halfway mark and are definitely into the downward spiral. From here on out, there aren't many questions - just a lot of answers. So, what do you think is going on? Anything clearing up for you? Let me know by leaving a review below!**

 **Thanks to ShiplessOceans and JakkiiSukaru for your awesome reviews. As always, it's lovely hearing from you two!**

 **Thank you, also, to my first Guest reviewer! Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!**


	10. Happy Birthday - Part 1

I wasn't exactly aware of what was going on when we stumbled out of the cave. It had to be close to 6:00 and I had almost successfully rallied back to where I was half way through my game of beer pong. My brain might have felt like it was wrapped in fleece, but the tradeoff was that everything had a glow of sunshine and happiness to it. I hadn't stopped smiling yet and nothing felt real. Someone suggested that going for a night hike would be fun, so walked for quite a while, taking back trails through the park to avoid security.

I was thankful that Jay was at my side, supporting me with a strong grip on my arm and waist. The ground just wouldn't hold still and if it wasn't for him, I wasn't so sure I would remain upright. This was especially dangerous considering the path had become so narrow that we were forced into a single file line. I didn't feel very certain that this was a real path and it did not appear to be well traveled. At my right was a cliff face with just a few trees and rocks jutting out from the blanket of autumn leaves. At my left was a steep drop off. I could hear water running distantly below, but it was so foggy that it was hard to tell just how bad the fall was. The air was so filled with vapor, in fact, that I could begin to feel the humidity clinging to my exposed skin. It struck me that I should be cold, but the alcohol had heated my blood and made my skin burn.

"So, what are we doing?" I asked as I lost my footing again. I probably tripped over damn near every branch on our way to wherever we were headed, but I only then realized I hadn't asked the question.

" _Brenna_ wants to know what's going on," David repeated to the laughter of the boys. I didn't understand why what I said was funny, but I didn't understand most of what was going on by this point, truth be told. I felt drunker than I ever had in my entire life, but with none of the nausea. I was starting to understand all the fuss about the wine. "Marko, what's going on?"

"I dunno," He chewed his thumb, a coy smile still showing through. "What's going on, Paul?

"Wait a minute, _who_ wants to know?" He laughed.

"Brenna wants to know!" Dwayne replied. Another chorus of laughter. I felt a slightly off-put that my new friends were suddenly teasing me like this. I wasn't usually the butt of their jokes.

 _'Brenna…'_

But, then, it was hard to feel anything anymore, not now that I was trapped within my own personal cloud.

"I think we should let her know what's going on," Jay spoke up.

"Well?" David asked expectantly of the blonde leading the way.

"It's just down here!" Marko wrapped his arm around the tree nearest him, hanging off the edge a fraction with just one foot planted on the ground. He glanced back for a second to flash me one more of his playful grins before he swung forward, allowing himself to slide down into the haze. I started toward him, but Jay had a firm hold of my shoulders and kept me planted where I stood. Because of my poor vantage point, I couldn't tell what lay beyond. I could hear Marko's feet dragging against the dirt for a bit, so clearly it wasn't a straight drop either, but the noise abruptly stopped after maybe a second and a half rather than tapering off, like he had hit something suddenly...Or fallen off a steeper cliff...I gulped, trying to listen for a thud or a crash, laughter – anything – but my concentration was broken by Paul.

"Don't be scared Brenna!" Paul laughed.

 _'Trust him…'_

"Bottoms up, man!" He winked before following in Marko's footsteps. Dwayne was next, just giving me finger guns before he leaped. There was no way this was real, I just didn't know what game they were playing.

Now David, closest to the ledge, nodded to Jay. He patted my shoulders roughly, maybe in what he thought might be a comforting way, trying to nudge me along, but I wasn't ready to move yet.

"Brenna Wald!" David taunted. "Come on down!"

 _'It's safe…'_

I felt myself swaying, leaning ever further forward. There had to be a trick to this. It couldn't be as bad at is seemed.

 _'It looks fun…'_

"This has got to be the stupidest fucking thing I've ever done," I grouched up at Jay. He looked down at me, an expression evident on his face, but one that I couldn't read. He gave me another wordless nudge and I began to move this time, regardless of my survival instincts shrieking at me to stay away.

The situation seemed to have sobered me considerably and I was grateful that I wasn't stumbling as much anymore. One wrong move would prove treacherous up here. Or maybe that was the point.

"Come with us, Brenna…" David's voice was suddenly sweet as candy as he gently turned my chin towards his face with a gloved hand. I leaned over the ledge a tad, holding tightly to the tree Marko had anchored himself with. I could feel some of the rock crumble away under my feet. I had no way of knowing whether the ground was ten feet or twenty miles away and a previously unexplored fear of heights gripped me. My grasp slipped evidently as my palms became sweaty and I let out something between a whimper and a squeak, desperately attempting to hug the tree closer. I did _not_ want to follow them.

 _'It's just harmless fun…'_

"Brenna, you're one of us, now," David spoke gently. "Let go."

Maybe the water below us was deep enough to break the fall. Or maybe the fall wasn't far enough to kill us all on impact, although I was positive we were too high up for those kinds of hopes and I still couldn't hear any of the boys make so much as a peep once they took the plunge. David shook his head at me, letting go and sliding away into darkness, the tails of his trench coat billowing behind him. This time, however, now that I was closer, I could watch some of the fog swirl away as he passed through it and I could see the second ledge: another steep drop, this one jutting out over an area I recognized. There was no water below, just dirt and rocks. No one could possibly survive that fall.

"Are you fucking insane?!" I turned to glare at Jay. I would have throttled him if my hands weren't otherwise occupied. David had pulled away some of the ledge as he went over and the earth below me crumbled some more, but I still had hold of the tree. I was still safe.

"Brenna! You are one of us!" Jay repeated David's words. I wasn't sure how annunciating everything better was supposed to make this seem any more reasonable.

"Please, just help me back up! I can't do this!" I reached for him.

 _'Brenna…'_

Against my better judgement, I looked down again. Everything began to spin and one hand slipped, but I caught myself with the other I had extended to Jay. Could I hear the boys yelling, or was it my imagination?

 _'Brenna…'_

"Let go!" He shouted at me.

 _'Everything is fine…'_

"Jay!" I shrieked after him. Everything was slick with humidity. A sudden weakness overtook me, and my other hand fell away as well. I tried to grab tight of anything I could to stop my roll down the hill toward my impending doom. I felt my nails breaking and bending, brambles digging into my skin as I tried to claw myself back up, but gravity was winning. Then, suddenly, I was over the second ledge and plummeting into oblivion.

All I could do for the first few seconds was scream, waiting for the impact. However, after I ran out of breath, I became very confused. I should have collided with something at this point. The physics just didn't make sense, but I also was shrouded in mist and unable to get a bearing on what was going on. Wind still roared past me, but I a strange suspicion that I wasn't actually moving. That's when the pain slammed into me. Every muscle, every hair, every cell had been set on fire. I screamed until blackness began to encroach upon my vision, tears streaming down my face. I flailed as though I could shake the pain from myself. Everything faded out of focus, my other senses completely drowned out by agony and when my vocal chords shredded themselves to bits, I felt myself falling again.

' _Almost…_ '

My back hit something solid. My body spasmed and my eyes flew open. There was an obnoxious chirping filling the room and, as I realized a soft light filtered in from behind my blackout curtains, my head throbbed. I eventually located my cell phone as the source of the infernal noise and, checking the screen, groaned when I noticed Jordan's name flash across it.

"Hullo," I answered. It was a statement, not a question.

"Hey." Her tone was tense.

"What's up?" I tried to peek out the window to see what time it was and was hit with the sun's intense afternoon rays, effectively blinding me. I swiped the fabric back shut with such ferocity that I was concerned momentarily that I might have ripped them, which would have been an utter tragedy right then.

"You ok?" Some legitimate concern filtered through her voice that time.

"Yeah…" I massaged my temples. "Long night. Out celebrating." Apparently two word sentences were all I was capable of.

"Oh." I heard the realization in her voice. "Of course! That's why I called! I wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" It was a good cover, but I knew she didn't actually remember and the pitch of her voice made me wince.

"Thanks."

"So, uh…Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah. Just hungover." There was an awkward silence and I begrudgingly asked what I knew she was hoping I would ask. "How was yours?"

"Oh, great! Just went out with my fr-" she caught her mistake. "I mean, some people."

"Have your first drink?" I had graduated to nearly complete sentences!

"I had a glass of Sangria, but I didn't like it, so I gave it to William." Interesting. I guessed she and William were dating again. News to me. How long had they been together? "Plus, you know how I feel about drinking. I just don't want to look like one of those sloppy girls." An image from the previous night was brought to mind in which Paul and Marko saw fit to introduce me to the concept of "slapping the bag" back at the cave. It should have been a sign when I couldn't taste the wine pouring out of the plastic bladder that I needed to be cut off. I wondered what Jordan would have thought if she could have seen me then.

"So, did you hear about Miriam?" I had been trying to forget.

"Yeah. Any updates?"

"Not that I've heard, but it probably has something to do with, well…You know." I knew exactly where this was headed, but I wanted her to have to say it for herself. She was the one that concealed it from me in the first place.

"What?"

"Well…You know how this town is."

"You know, I really don't. I was under the assumption that this town was completely safe." My tone was acutely more biting than I had intended, but it got my point across. "So why am I _just_ hearing this from you for the first time?"

"People don't like to talk about it. Young Haven has a really checkered past… But it was a different time then. Then the mafia got pushed out by the gangs…" When my silence made it clear that she wasn't winning me over, she switched directions. "It _has_ gotten much better!"

"Better?" I snorted. "Why don't you tell that to Miriam?" It was my turn to receive the silent treatment. I immediately wanted to eat my words. This wasn't getting us anywhere.

"Well, I just wanted to call to make sure you knew…" Jordan's voice waivered almost unnoticeably, but I certainly could tell. "A-and to wish you a happy birthday."

"I appreciate it." I wondered if it was even worth asking, but I figured I'd try to reach out one more time. "Hey, if you're free, you maybe wanna grab dinner tonight?"

"Oh, uh…I'll be at William's again tonight, so maybe we can catch up tomorrow?" Couldn't she even take an hour away from him to get dinner with me? For my goddamn birthday?

"Sure." I wasn't expecting a call.

"Ok. Well…Bye!" I didn't bother to reply, simply hanging up the phone and letting it drop to the bed beside me.

I wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep and forget the conversation had even happened, and to pick back up on that weird falling dream, but all the talking made me realize how dry my throat was. I started to shuffle toward the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water but, unfortunately, forgot that I hadn't outfitted the entire apartment with blackout curtains and was forced to retreat to my safely curtained room until I could locate sunglasses. Fucking hangovers. I could only imagine what the Darts would say if they could see me now…I felt a resurgence of anger from the previous day and I wondered if power had been restored to my room yet. Knowing my landlord, probably not. I'd have to let my phone charge in the living room or something.

I brought the water and snacks back to bed, but neither of them did much for me. My throat still hurt and the mini banana muffins tasted stale - awful and dry. Had they expired? I tossed them in the trash bin just to be safe before pulling the blankets over myself, running over the details of my dream again. I wondered when I had blacked out after we got to the cave. There was no obvious end point to the night – the dream about the park and the partying melded together seamlessly. How had I gotten back into the apartment at all?

When I woke up the second time, just a few minutes after 6:00 pm, it was getting dark out. I just hoped I could turn my sleep schedule around before school started again. Tomorrow. Ugh, it was Sunday already. I should technically be going back to bed in another seven hours but, now that I had slept in, I didn't see it happening. I would have to try and pull an all-nighter if I intended to make it to my shift in the morning.

After fixing myself an extra relaxing morning bath, brushing my teeth, and applying some lotion, I figured I should be an adult and go to do some grocery shopping. I would skip the makeup for today – I didn't feel like letting my bathroom mirror de-fog and I didn't have anyone I needed to impress. But, as soon as I picked up my car keys I remembered that my car was STILL sitting at Crandall. My roommates weren't home, not that I would want to talk to them right then anyway, so I decided to pop across the hall. Maybe I could bribe Mike with food for a ride? No dice. He wasn't answering. I moped back to my own apartment, scrolling through the various names in my contact list, hoping I would find even one person that would come to my rescue. I realized that I didn't have any of the boys' numbers, so that wasn't an option. I made a mental note to ask them, but then it also dawned on me that I didn't think I ever saw one of them use a cell phone. Did they even own them?

Maybe I could call William? Or Philip? Would they even answer the phone if they saw my name? The loneliness was starting to creep in again like a coldness. I could probably walk if they didn't pick up, but given the Miriam situation, that didn't seem smart or safe. That's when I heard a knock on the door.

"Thank Christ…" I muttered, wondering which of the boys it would be this time as I swung my door open. "I was wondering when I would see…" My eyes finally focused on the two individuals standing before me. I slammed the wood back shut, throwing myself against it.

"We just want to talk, Brenna!"

"I wasn't kidding about calling the cops!" I figured I had seen the last of the Darts when I threatened them with a bat.

"But you didn't." One of them pointed out. I couldn't tell the brothers apart by voice.

"It's not too late!" I held the phone in my hand, ready to dial the number if this took a turn.

"Can we please just talk?"

"We _are_ talking, aren't we?" There we a pause and I heard and felt a "thunk". Checking through the peephole, I realized that one of them was now resting their head against the door.

"This isn't really a talk for the hallway. Just open the door." Theo, the one who had been leaning against the door, straightened up again. I decided to try the Dwayne strategy and kept my mouth shut. If they were anything like me, they would cave and start talking in just a few seconds. Sure enough…

"We came to apologize for the other night, and to thank you for not turning us in."

"Ok."

"And…" I could tell this was difficult for them. "And we wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm great, thank you for asking."

"You knew that other vamp in the hall, didn't you?" His tone made it clear he wasn't really asking a question. "The one who lives on our floor."

"I'm sorry, I'm certain I don't know any vampires," I countered. Theo growled, frustrated by my response.

"The…Thing from last night." Silence. More snarling. " _You_ talk to her." I heard him mutter.

"We're just worried. You don't know what this place is like yet. We don't want you winding up on another missing person's poster." Jack was wise to drop the subject.

"I don't go out alone and I carry mace. I thought you would have realized after the other night that I could take care of myself."

"That stuff is useless. Did you at least check out the website?"

"No, I have not."

"Please?" Another little business card slid its way under the door. I narrowed my eyes at it. "Come on. What do we have to do to get you to read it?"

"Do you guys have a ride?"

"…Yes?" Jack hesitated before answering.

"Take me to pick up my car and I'll read your dumb website." I could hear them talking it over quickly and I had to wonder if this was a wise decision, but I wasn't sure what other choice I really had if I wanted to eat today, and I was starving. I tried to take another look through the peephole, but discovered that one of them was covering it.

"Ok, we'll take you." Theo finally spoke.

"No, there is no 'we' here. Just Jack. I don't like this any more than you do, but I'm not going to outnumber myself in a confined space voluntarily. _Especially_ not with you two."

"What do you mean 'especially not with us'?!" Theo was incredulous and I heard him bang his fist against the wall. I jumped and was happy they couldn't see how much they had startled me. "We're the good guys!"

"I just watched you nearly put a kid in the hospital. No deal."

"You-!" More whispering and I heard one set of feet stamping off.

"Ok, just me." I checked the peephole – it was uncovered and only Jack remained.

"Alright, step away from the door." He did as I said and took several steps backward into the center of the hall. I checked to make sure I had all of my things, as well as my can of mace. For good measure, I also snatched a steak knife from the clean dishes rack and tucked it into my purse. I opened the door a crack, peeking out to make sure the hallway was empty, before emerging fully.

"You have anything on you?" I demanded.

"No. I came unarmed."

"You sure? I'm patting you down and if I find anything…" He rolled his eyes, slowly lowering a hand. "Ah ah!" I stopped him. "Keep your hands up and tell me where it is."

"Knife in my back right pocket." I pulled it out, kicking it back into my apartment. "That's it." As promised, I patted him down. He was being honest about not having anything else as far as I could tell.

"I'm locking the knife in the apartment. You can have it when we get back." The moment I shut the door, however, I found Michael sliding out of his apartment, eyes locked on the back of Jack's head.

"Where you going, Brenna?" He sounded definitively more protective than the situation called for, but I was just happy to see him.

"Michael!" My relief was evident. "Are you free right now?"

"It just so happens I am. What do you need?"

"Can you give me a ride to pick up my car? It kind of got left at this house a few nights ago and I need to pick it up before it gets towed."

"Sure thing." He already had a leather jacket in hand and we started heading for the door.

"Woah," Jack tried to stop us. "I thought we decided _I_ was giving you a ride?" I paused at the door to the stairwell, sighing.

"Look, I haven't had the best of experiences with you or your brother so far, Jack. I promise I'll still read your website later."

"You know, we're not the bad guys here." I threw my hands in the air, turning around to face him.

"Not this _again_."

"There are things-"

"Just stop." My tone turned cold as stone.

"You don't understand. There's more going on here. They're killers, Brenna! They're going-"

"STOP." I ordered. "The first time I met one of you, I was getting threatened. Then, you start a fight in the hallway right outside my room doing enough damage to the wall to leave me without electricity for _days_. I _still_ don't have power restored! You accuse everyone around you of being some supernatural being, but YOU'RE the only dangerous people I see. I had to fucking pat you down just now because I can't trust you! How do you not see that this is fucked up?"

"Alright." He sighed, scratching the back of his neck, glancing around to see if anyone else was listening in. "I know. It looks bad. But if you knew where we were coming from, you would understand. Our mother-"

"Just, fucking…" I cut him off, clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to center myself before I flew off the handle. "No. You are not going there. Do you think you're the only person who lost someone? Because you're not. You need help." For once, he seemed at a loss for words. "I'll drop your knife off when I get back," I promised, turning my back to him.

"He's one of them too!" I could hear him yelling, even over the door slamming shut behind us.

"Christ…" I shook my head once Michael and I got outside where he wouldn't be able to hear. "They just don't quit. Have they always been that way?"

"More or less." Michael guided me over to his bike and I hopped right on without instruction.

"I didn't peg you for a biker." He seemed amused. "But your choice in outerwear makes more sense now."

"I didn't peg you for a Meghan Trainor fan." I teased as the radio kicked on, brushing some lint off of Paul's coat.

"Touché" he laughed, quickly silencing the music. "Where did you learn?"

"My friends all ride." I hadn't quite thought through the sentence before I spoke and was surprised at what tumbled out. Maybe counting the boys as " _all_ my friends" was a Freudian slip? Or, maybe that's what my subconscious actually believed. Maybe it was becoming true. "Well, you know, David and them."

I hopped into my car quickly as I possibly could when Michael dropped me off, locking my doors immediately once I was inside. Michael watched me start my car, then took off, popping a wheelie on his way.

"Show off!" I rolled down my window to yell out of it. As I sat, holding the button in to let the window return to its normal position, the smile faded openly. And as I watched Michael disappear over a hill, the rumble of his bike fading, my heart ached unmistakeably. I missed the boys. I was spending so much time with them that being alone felt wrong, even if I had just seen them the other night.

My phone buzzed and I retrieved it, discovering a Facebook notification: a selfie of Jordan and Colette in the apartment.

"Can't wait!" The photo was captioned. In Jordan's fingers, intentionally framed in the photo, were a set of unfamiliar keys. Were they moving out? They would be required to sublet their apartments, so I wouldn't find myself in a position where I couldn't afford to live there, but that meant I would likely be stuck with two strangers sharing my space. I had decided after my monster of a roommate freshman year that I would never live with people I didn't know ever again.

"Fucking bitches." Every time I thought I had things figured out, life had a way of shutting me back down. Maybe the boys had an extra room in the cave? I plugged the auxiliary cord into my phone and started digging through my music, simultaneously trying to determine where all I needed to go grocery shopping and what I needed to pick up. I would deal with Colette and Jordan later. Eventually I threw the phone on shuffle, unable to come up with anything fitting this mood I found myself in. If nothing else, I was grateful I remembered to pick up a few more songs. I was tired of being subjected to my eighth grade melancholy playlist over and over again. I wasn't sure how much more of middle school Brenna I could take.

* * *

 **Nine Inch Nails - In Two**

* * *

" _Split.  
_ _Split in two.  
_ _Somethin' else._ _"_

I guess my musical interests _hadn't_ changed all that much. I started to drive, immediately recognizing how strange it felt to not have wind in my hair. I rolled both windows down, not really paying attention to what direction I was headed, just so driving would feel normal again. It didn't matter that temperatures were dipping close to freezing then. My brain only reengaged a few minutes later and I noticed that I had auto piloted to what was familiar. The park. The cave.

' _The apartment…'_

I should have been heading to the apartment. I left my grocery list on the counter and this trip would be completely useless without it.

" _Nature is violent.  
_ _The nature of the beast is violent.  
_ _You know that_ ,  
 _And someone else,  
_ _Another one that wasn't me, no…_ "

 _The_ park. _The_ cave. _The_ apartment. It felt so strange. It used to be _my_ apartment. _My_ home. I wondered when exactly that had stopped being the case. Probably about the point I realized Jordan and Colette were so close. I started to turn the car in the right direction.

" _Thrive.  
_ _Just become  
_ _Your disease_.  
 _Leave,  
_ _Them behind.  
_ _You are free._ "

I laughed, humorlessly. It was my twenty-first birthday and my gift to myself was about to be groceries. Last night had been great. Amazing, actually. I felt more alive than I had in a _long_ , long time. If I could spend every night with the boys like that, I would die happy. But, last night wasn't really _about_ me. Maybe that was selfish, but I was comparing my evening to Jordan's just the day before. A nice dinner, surrounded by friends thoughtful enough to get her gifts and a cake and sing happy birthday to her. Maybe I could go get myself a frosty and stick a birthday candle in it? That's close, right? And also about all I could afford. I felt my eyes stinging in that familiar way again.

" _Hey,  
_ _What you want,  
_ _You deserve._ "

I put my car in park. I was back at the apartment already but was avoiding going inside. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to deal with Jordan and Colette. I started rubbing at my face again, this time trying to furiously brush the tears away before anyone could see me. I prayed it wasn't that noticeable and, fortunately, the dimness of the parking lot worked in my favor. The lights hadn't kicked on just yet.

This was stupid. Plenty of people had it so much worse than me, and this is what I was sitting here feeling sorry about? Not having a person to come sing me happy birthday? Pathetic.

 _"It's getting harder to tell the two of you apart.  
_ _It's getting harder to tell the two of you apart.  
_ _I can't believe I could never remember which one you are.  
_ _It's getting harder to tell the two of you apart."_

The tears were rolling freely now, some last night's mascara starting to invade my eyes, and I moved to rub it out with my sleeve, but stopped when I remembered I was still wearing Paul's jacket. Putting it on when I left wasn't even a conscious effort. It, too, had become habit.

" _I just don't know anymore…"_

I managed to find a napkin in the glove box and opted to use it to try and dab some of the wetness away. In case I had any makeup left on, this would hopefully keep me from developing raccoon eyes.

" _I just don't know anymore…"_

And, really deep down, I was realizing that I had let the boys become some integral part of me over the past forty-eight hours. I wondered if maybe it was just some game to them. I hadn't even gotten their phone numbers.

" _I just don't know anymore…"_

I was about to pull my visor down to check the damage I had done to my face, but that's when I felt the rumbling. I turned to my left and was greeted by Paul's face. He was pressing his face up against the glass of my window and I barked a laugh at his antics, a sheepish smile invading my face. I resisted the urge to roll the window down with his skin still in contact with it and simply killed the engine, cutting the song off. He backed away enough so I could get out.

"Hey birthday girl." His voice had a gentler tone than usual. He could tell. I could see it in his eyes.

"Hey, Paul."

"Come on. Let's take a ride."

"Yeah." I locked the car behind me and began tucking them into my pocket.

"Oh, and you brought me my coat! Sweet!"

"Oh, shit, right." I again removed the keys and started to shrug the cloth off. I was going to miss that thing. Even if it did look like an oversized prom dress on me, it was so damn comfortable.

"Well, you would look silly wearing both."

"…Both?" I started to smile, in spite of myself, barely containing my excitement.

"Ok, you gotta close your eyes." I complied with his order, my smile growing more genuine. "And no peeking! I'll know!" I could hear him digging around for something for a while before telling me to open my eyes again. "Happy birthday, Brenna." I was right. It was a gunmetal leather coat all my own with red zippers on the cuffs accenting the main, off-centered zipper. Red piping on the shoulders and black patches on the elbows contrasted the gray. It was nowhere near as elaborate as the others, but I figured that came with time and wear. I wrapped Paul in a tight hug.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Try it on!" He demanded me once I let go. "We have an appointment to make!"

"What?" Maybe he meant a reservation, or maybe he was making a joke. It seemed like a weird choice of words for him.

"That's another surprise. Now come on!" Seeing it fit nicely, I climbed onto the bike quickly and readied myself. I had no idea what Paul driving somewhere in a hurry looked like, but I knew his leisurely pace was enough to give most a run for their money.

Just as I tightened my hold around his midsection, I turned just in time to notice Jordan and Colette walking out of the apartment building and froze, not sure how to express myself. I was immediately scared they would see me on the bike and judge me or tell me I was turning into one of the boys again. That didn't last long. The doubt and worry were quickly smothered with anger that they had apparently decided to abandon me and find another apartment. The look they shot me was venomous, but I didn't have to focus on it for long. We were off like a shot, the grocery list long forgotten, and Paul's middle finger extended in their direction. It was like he knew.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Anything else clearing up for you guys? I don't think a whole lot was revealed her, but leave a review to let me know! ****Many thanks, per usual, to ShiplessOceans and JakkiSukaru!  
**  
 **I'm breaking this chapter up since we went WELL over 6k works, so expect a slightly more exciting update this weekend!  
**


	11. Happy Birthday - Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did.**

* * *

 _July 31, 1987_

 _She hadn't been working at the video store long, but the woman had already been trained like Pavlov's dog. The instant the bell hit the glass of the door, she turned to greet the customer, a warm smile tugging at the corners of her mouth._

 _"Welcome to Max's video st-" she mentally, and almost physically, stumbled. Standing before her was her was quite the sight – a young boy, dirty and disheveled, a 100 mile long stare causing his features to go slack. It wasn't until he locked eyes with her that she even recognized him as her own son. It also seemed to snap him out of whatever daydream he found himself in, jolting him into action. The boy tripped over himself to get back to the door, fingers searching for any sort of locking mechanism until he found and twisted it into place._

 _"Sam?" She asked carefully. The boy's sense of urgency was concerning. He had been acting strange lately, but she had rationalized it as typical behavior for a child – an overactive imagination and acting out because she was dating again. It would be tough on any kid. But this… Sam darted across the store and she was forced into pursuit. "Sam!" He either wasn't hearing or wasn't listening to her. "Sam! What is going on?" She was becoming aware of the stares of the customers, but they could wait. She finally caught up to him as his shaking fingers fumbled with the lock at the back door. "Sam?" She lightly touched his shoulder causing him to jerk violently away, covering his face with his hands. He didn't seem to recognize her at first. The way he recoiled, it was like he expected her to hurt him. Finally recognizing that it was his mother, and not a threat, he dove back toward the lock, but she stopped him._

 _"Sam!" She grabbed him by both shoulders and it took all her strength to keep him from plowing straight through her. "What has gotten into you?"_

 _"There's no time!" Sam lowered his shoulders to try and push through, but his mother held her ground. "The sun…It's almost down…"_

 _"What?"_

 _"It's Michael, mom! They got to him! I was too late! And now they're coming here!" She faltered in her grip on Sam and he managed to switch the latch on the door closed, which clearly brought him relief. "It took so long to get here…They could be here any second…"She wasn't sure what to do. This vampire business was ridiculous, but something had clearly frightened her youngest son half to death._

 _"Sam," she bent to his level, keeping her tone as even and calm as possible to avoid frightening her child anymore, but also to avoid causing a panic in the customers. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened."_

 _"Santa Carla is crawling with vampires, mom! They're everywhere!" She could feel the scolding threating to spill out of her lips, but she held it back. It certainly couldn't be vampires, but what if something happened to Michael and this was Sam's way of rationalizing it? "We went to this cave with Edgar and Allen, and there were these bats, and the smell, and…" His lower lip began to quiver. "Edgar tried to stake them, but they were too fast, and he fell and…And then Alan got Star, and Michael…"_

 _"Sam, honey, you aren't making any sense. What happened to Edgar? And what do you mean Alan got Star? Who's Star?"_

 _"They're dead, mom." The tears began to fall and his voice cracked. "They're all dead, and it's all my fault…" The child lost all control over his emotions, utterly inconsolable. His mother reached out to pull him close, allowing Sam to cry on her shoulder while she stroked his hair._

 _"Sam, sweetie," She tried to keep the wavering out of her voice, but ghouls aside, what Sam was describing…It didn't sound like an overactive imagination or a prank. "You said something happened to Michael?" He nodded, sobs wracking his chest, preventing him from speaking clearly. "Are you telling me he's dead? Is your brother ok?"_

 _"He-He k-killed Alan." She felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice over her. "A-and they all j-just watched…"_

 _"Come on." She began dragging her son out of the store. "Maria," she addressed the cashier._

 _"I got it." Maria gave a small smile, something more like a grimace. She hadn't heard their conversation, thankfully, but still seemed to understand immediately that something was very wrong. "You have bigger things to worry about. I can cover the rest of your shift and Max will understand."_

 _"Thank you." She breathed a small sigh of relief as she shoved her panicking son out the front door and onto the boardwalk. The streetlights hummed into life around them. She prayed this was just some sort of elaborate prank._

* * *

This was first time we took the bike on the highway, and with the way that Paul weaved through traffic, I was terrified it would be my last. Fortunately, we made it there just fine and I was extremely confused to find myself sitting in the parking lot of a burger joint. I guessed this was meant to be dinner, but I didn't see where the appointment comment came into play. Oh well. Inside I found my boys taking up one corner of the small restaurant, terrorizing the other customers with little more than their rambunctiousness. Typical. I chuckled a little, shaking my head. It certainly wasn't the crowd I rolled with in high school, not that I didn't want to. They were just so effortlessly cool. What on Earth did I do to trick them into thinking I was worth keeping around?

"There she is!" I heard Marko yell. They all looked happy to see me, save for Jay. The brunet looked…Concerned? It was hard to tell with his black hoodie pulled over his face the way it was. I couldn't figure out what was going on with him lately. He seemed so…Off. I couldn't come up with a good descriptor. He was kind of being a killjoy at the party the previous night. Well…The bits of it I could actually remember. Although… Maybe that was just in my weird waterfall dream…It was so realistic that I was finding it difficult to pick the dream out of last night's celebrations. They blended together seamlessly.

Marko rushed over, already taking his wallet out. "Dinner's on me, so get the greasiest, most fattening thing you can."

"Sir, yes sir!" I mock saluted, scouring the menu and making my selection.

It wasn't long before I slid into my seat, food in hand, but noticed that the boys all were shooting me side glances. I was beginning to feel self-conscious, hesitantly sinking my teeth into the burger, trying to pretend I didn't notice. Maybe Paul had said something to them about me crying? Or maybe my eyes were still red and puffy? I decided to excuse myself to the restroom to find out but, to my disappointment, I discovered that the women's restroom was, annoyingly, designed to be completely devoid of mirrors. It was something I started to see more and more of in the area to decrease the amount of time spent in the bathroom primping. Admitting defeat, I returned to the table, pulling out my cell phone to check my face in the camera.

"So," Paul addressed me, pushing my phone back onto the table. "Feeling any different now that you're twenty-one?" I decided to give up for the time being and abandoned any hope of seeing my face. Hopefully, it wasn't too terrible.

"Nah," I began my response, still chewing my bacon burger. "I'm kind of bummed, actually. Twenty-one is supposed to be the last birthday you really look forward to. It's all downhill after this, right?" I dipped some of my fries into my chocolate milk shake before proceeding to devour them as well. "Except maybe renting a car at twenty-five…Yeah, if I could just stop aging right now, that would be a dream come true."

"Keep drinking like you did last night and you aren't going to make it much further than twenty-one." Dwayne chuckled. A few of the others smiled quietly to themselves in a knowing way.

"Yeah!" Paul exclaimed, now standing behind me, gripping my shoulders and shaking me vigorously. "I didn't know you had it in you!" I tried to shrug it off, but I couldn't hold back my smile.

"I'm trying out something new." I admitted. "Boring, play it safe Brenna wasn't working out too great, so…It's time to reinvent myself." I pushed the rest of my food toward the center of the table. I wasn't at all surprised I didn't finish – the portions were enormous here. French fries were served in full-sized takeaway bags.

"You know…" David tilted his head a twinge, a small smirk playing across his lips. "It's like you read my mind."

I requested a refill on my water before stepping outside, stretching and enjoying the cool night air. I only wished my body would sort itself out. It was the strangest feeling: I was so full I thought I might burst, yet I still felt, not exactly hungry, but…Empty? No, that wasn't it either. And this sore throat I was developing…I rubbed at my neck in thought, sipping away on my drink while everyone else smoked their cigarettes. It felt like I hadn't had a drop of water in days.

"Everything ok?" David asked much too innocently. Like he didn't already know.

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of the girl with the hangover." I rolled my eyes. "Actually, I just think I'm getting a cold. I've felt off all day after effects of last night's libations not included." He smirked.

"I'm sure you'll be good as new sooner than you think, but hurry up and finish. We've got places to be." I looked between him and Paul.

"What now?

"You'll see…" David's smirk only grew. Jay continued to give me the same weird stare from earlier, like the one from my dream, and it was starting to make me uncomfortable. To put an end to it, I quickly tossed my drink, they shorted their cigarettes, and we were riding off again, although not for long this time. We pulled into a storefront just down the road. The sign read Black Phoenix Tattoo. My eyes conspicuously widened.

"Ready to say goodbye to 'Boring Brenna'?" David quoted me from earlier.

 _'I am'_

"I, auh…" My mouth felt even drier than before and I choked on my response, unsure. "I don't even know what I would get." I tried to laugh dismissively, but instead, it plainly displayed my nerves.

"Just take a look around," He pushed. "See if anything sticks out. Jay has to get some touch-up work done, so you have time." I planted myself outside the store front, an inner battle keeping me there.

"I double dog dare you to just go check it out." Paul chimed in giving me a little nudge forward.

 _'It couldn't hurt'_

"I guess that couldn't' hurt…" I caved, following everyone inside. I mean, what was I going to do? Stage a protest and sit outside until they were done?

"Besides," Paul wrapped an arm around me. "You already have your ears pierced. How much worse could this be?"

"I had my ears pierced when I was _two_ ," I muttered to myself, beginning to flip through different albums of work done on previous customers. "And I developed a fear of staplers for a good year afterward, thank you very much…"

The art was decent, but nothing I decided I wanted. I hated the flash art that everyone else had one of already – I wanted something original. Something meaningful. Biting my lip, I looked at my phone. There were a couple of designs I had pinned on a Pinterest board a long time ago…But were they too stupid? Was it cliché or tacky to get a tattoo idea off of Pinterest?

The artist arrived, shaking hands with Jay and leading him to the back.

 _'Go check it out'_

"You can go back" David nodded toward the curtained off section of the shop. "You're allowed. Maybe watch what it's like?" That trademark smirk had returned and I tried to return a smile, although I'm sure it came off strained, and hurried to join Jay.

The design the artist was retouching came across as modern hipster. It was a forest, the trees all barren of leaves, wrapping around his ankle and stretching to mid-calf. One tree stood a degree taller than the rest, and it seemed like something was off with its branches, but I didn't put much stock into it.

"I didn't even know you had a tattoo," I mentioned while watching the artist work at deepening some of the shading.

"We all have them." Jay' voice was muffled by the table. Because the artist was currently working on the bits on the back of his leg he was forced to lay face down, but I could tell he was being short with me on purpose and not because of the awkward position.

 _'It's nothing'_

"It's tradition." Jay eventually added when I proceeded to ignore the cold shoulder I imagined he was employing to try to make me leave. He fiddled with an iPod connected to the store sound system and turned on music, maybe hoping to drown me out.

* * *

 **Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2**

* * *

"What kind of tradition?" I just spoke louder.

"We all got a piercing and some ink when we started riding together." Despite Jay's coolness, I couldn't help but feel some warm and fuzzy feelings. I hadn't realized how much this would mean to the boys. At least, I hoped that was the intention. Maybe I was misreading? A few more butterflies fluttered around and I decided to pull up a chair.

I passed the time in the shop mostly alternating between watching progress on the tattoo and flipping through pages on the internet. He didn't seem phased by the process at all and that put me at ease more than Googling areas to get tattoos ever would. Additionally, the tattoo machine was much quieter than I expected which made the whole idea of getting inked less intimidating somehow. Rather than a swarm of angry hornets, the mechanism only emitted a small hum. I had always wanted a tattoo, but never thought I would have the balls to go and do it. My pain tolerance was absolutely pitiful, however, the biggest thing that held me back in the past was that my mother constantly threatened to cut me off if she ever found out that I got a tattoo, but…I guessed that wasn't really an issue anymore. She had cut me out of her life anyway.

I noticed Jay twitch a little on the table. I hesitated, unsure of myself, but decided to place a hand on his leg anyway in a hopefully comforting way, patting his calf a little.

"You pick something out yet?" I practically fell out of my seat, jerking my hand back. I hadn't noticed Dwayne walk up behind me at all with the music. He didn't laugh at me, though, and I appreciated that.

"I have ideas floating around, but…Nothing solid." I pulled the pictures back up and explained some of my thoughts. Between the artist and him, we came up with something that sounded interesting which I was willing to try out. Jay was done on the table pretty quickly after that, so the artist switched focus to sketching and printing an idea for me. I found that I had a stencil of the design on my ankle entirely too quickly.

"It's just so…permanent…" I tried to explain to those gathered around me, still working on talking myself out of the situation I found myself in. "I mean, shouldn't I be putting more thought into this?"

"Brenna, when was the last time you did something crazy?" Paul had challenged me while I was standing in front of the mirror. Other than changing schools I realized…Nothing, really.

 _'Just like Jordan…"_

These boys truly were a terrible influence on me.

"Alright." The artist patted the table, calling me to it. "You ready?"

"Hey, Jay?" The boys were exiting to the lobby to give me some privacy, probably to play video games, but Jay happened to be in the back of the pack. "Could you, uh…This is awkward, but could I maybe hold your hand?" The words sounded much worse outside of my mouth. "I mean, just for the start. Until I get used to it. I just don't want to jump and ruin the tattoo and-"

"Sure, Bren." He cut my babbling off. I narrowed my eyes at the nickname. Few people ever called me that, and I typically would have protested, but in this case, I decided it was comforting and just let it go. His expression was actually much softer from earlier. Dare I say it, he might have actually looked pleasant as he sat in the stool I once occupied, taking my hand. I was now lying face down as well and I couldn't be sure if not being able to see would make the experience better or worse. I resisted urges to tense, waiting for the needle to meet my skin.

As it turned out, I would be happy to report that my fears of getting inked were unfounded. Just as the machine was quieter than I expected, it was also nowhere near as painful as I was anticipating. I instantly felt stupid.

"This isn't bad at all!" I remarked. "I got myself all worked up over nothing."

"You're capable of more than you give yourself credit for." He smiled, turning away quickly to notice the boys heading out of the shop. Paul and Marko gave me matching thumbs ups and Jay patted my shoulder as he let go of my hand. "We'll be back." He promised. "You'll do fine."

"Oh!" I eyed the bunch curiously. "Uh…Ok! I'll just be right here I guess?" It seemed strange that they would leave me here alone, but the shop was comfortable enough. And it wasn't like I could leave if I wanted to anyway. But what would they all be up to at the same time that couldn't wait? Jay walked away before I could ask.

The entire process didn't take more than an hour and I mostly played on my phone, chatted with the artist, or watched YouTube videos to pass the time. When the guys returned, they started trading off, trying to distract me from the soreness of sitting still too long. That was probably the worst part, honestly. It didn't become painful until the very end when I started to bleed a little, and even that was tolerable, just kind of unpleasant.

When it was finally finished, I received my own wrappings and care card and was rushing out to the lounge to show off. The main design I had decided on was a moth.

"It's only after we've lost everything," the words wrapped around it, "that we're free to do anything." I figured I could keep it covered with pants or the right shoe choice if it became a work issue, but this also gave me the opportunity to show it off if I wanted.

"Thank you, David," I mumbled begrudgingly, realizing he had picked out a perfect gift. It was like they knew me better than I knew myself.

"Glad you liked it." His eyes betrayed that his statement held more meaning than he was letting on, but he continued before I could question it. "And I believe we have one more surprise in store for you if you're up to it…"

The night had been so action packed that I hadn't even thought to check the clock. It was nearing what was _supposed_ to be my bed time rapidly.

' _Stay out a little longer…'_

I thought about doing the responsible thing and going home to get my sleep schedule back on track, but I knew I would just end up lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about all the fun everyone was probably having and regretting going home.

"Alright," I consented. "But I have work and class tomorrow morning. I need to be back at a decent hour."

"Ok, we'll get you back in time for work," Marko suggested. The group snickered.

"No, I need to be home in time to get sleep too. Or at least for a nap."

"Awe, you ruin all the fun!" He complained, leading me to the door.

I ended up on David's bike on the way to the cave. It seemed like I was always on his bike by default when he was around, and I wondered why that was. Not that I minded…I hated to admit it, but he was the most fun, even if he also took the most risks. Walking into the cave itself, Marko offered me his arm this time around. It was a trust exercise on steroids considering that Paul also insisted on covering my eyes.

"You're all trying to give me a damn heart attack!" I complained, but I truly did trust them. They stood a much better chance getting me all the way to our destination without cracking my skull open than I did with my eyes open. Eventually, Paul pulled away his hands and I felt myself tear up undeniably. A large birthday banner was hung in the back of the chamber and in front of me stood Dwayne holding a birthday cake with a few lit candles in it. It was everything I had wanted and more.

"Thank you!" I moved closer to take a better look. "Happy Birthday Brenna" the icing read.

"Yeah, yeah," I could tell he was proud. "You just better not expect us to sing."

"I would never!" We stared each other for a few seconds longer before he relented, allowing me to give him a side hug. I only had to think for a few seconds exactly what it was I wanted to wish for, then blew out the candles. It was so obvious.

After helping to cut the dessert, I plopped into what was becoming my spot on the couch, happily devouring my first slice of cake. Black forest was my favorite: rich dark chocolate with cherries. I could easily eat this whole thing. I was still _so_ hungry. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the tattoo taking its toll on me? That was probably why Marko insisted on me eating a ton of food beforehand.

"Think fast, Brenna!" I heard just in time as Marko chucked a beer at my head. I managed to catch it, by some miracle, and cracked it open. "One more!" he called, tossing something else over distinctly gentler. The mystery object was covered in newspaper and very clearly not another beer. I eyed the boy suspiciously, beginning to tear at the wrappings. When I pulled the present all the way open, I discovered that it was a street sign. Specifically, it was the Elm Street sign from outside of the apartment. I wanted to be mad at him, because I knew without a doubt it was stolen, but I couldn't stop the smile taking over my face. He _had_ been listening that night. More than that! He _remembered_!

"Thank you, Marko." I raised my beer to him.

One beer turned into three, then five, then a few shots. Race you to the Bottom by New Medicine blasted out of the rock box Paul had finally let me plug my phone into and we were having a grand old time, but that's when I looked down at my phone and realized just how late it had gotten.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" I started to stand up.

"Awe, Brenna…" Marko whined.

"Guys, I've really gotta get home. I'm having a great time, but…I have work…"

' _Call off…'_

"And class…"

' _Skip…'_

"Come on, Brenna!" David hit me with that piercing gaze of his again. "Stay. You deserve a break?"

"I'll get you home before the sun is even up" Paul promised.

"I'll take you home now if you want to go." Jay stood on the other side of me, contradicting the others in the cave with tightly crossed arms. "We're not going to hold you here if you need to go home." A chorus of disappointment rang out around me.

"Sorry, boys." I pouted. "It was a very tempting offer!" Jay took my hand and began escorting me out through the darkness, but apparently, my eyes had finally adjusted. Or maybe the moon was just exceptionally bright? Either way, I didn't need any help to get through this time. "And thank you all again for everything!" I called back to them.

"We'll see you real soon, Brenna." David watched me all the way out. It was a promise, one that made me shiver, although I couldn't be sure why. The music became distant as we walked to the bike, and I regretted leaving, but I thanked Jay profusely for the ride when we got to the apartment.

"I just can't say no to them!" I laughed, dismounting.

"They…We can be pretty persuasive when we want to be." He laughed as well, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. He didn't meet my eyes and his expression was difficult to read in the strangely dark parking lot. It seemed like someone had cut the power. I wanted to ask him if everything was ok, but it just didn't feel like my place.

"Good night, Jay." I decided turning and leaving would be the simplest solution to this awkwardness, but he caught my arm, forcing me to turn around. His eyes searched my face for something, mouth and opening and closing as though he wanted to speak, but ultimately…

"Never mind." He shook his head, also unsure of how to proceed. "I'll catch you later." I nodded, hugging my jacket closer, focusing on getting inside my warm apartment. Jay remained, I noticed, watching until he saw that I had made it inside, just like the other boys had. For living in a cave and riding bikes, they were better mannered than I would have given them credit for.

As pulled open the door to the apartment, hunger slammed into the forefront of my mind once more. No, not hunger, just...Something. Emptiness. Need. I _needed_ something. But what? I didn't understand it and I didn't have other words to describe it. While I felt disgustingly full and bloated, especially after my third slice of cake and however many beers I ended up drinking. Collectively, I had probably put on an extra ten pounds today, but I needed…S _omething_. I dug through the cupboard, searching for saltines or anything else that might help settle my stomach, but as I stretched to pull some Pringles from out of the cupboard over the stove, I crumpled, toppling off of the step stool. It felt like I had been run through my midsection with a serrated blade as my body disconnected from my brain. I hit the floor but hardly felt it. Nothing could distract me from the sharp, stabbing pains in my stomach and chest. I thought about calling out to Jordan or Colette, but remembered that neither of my roommates were here to help. I weakly attempted to pick myself up off the floor, arms shaking with effort as I used the cabinets to climb into a standing position, groaning with effort.

I tried making it to one of the barstool chairs to get closer to my phone which I had dropped on the counter on my way in the door, but the pain flared back up again, twice as excruciating this time if it were even possible, and I found myself face down on the floor once more. The carpet felt like it was vibrating and the walls of the room breathed of their own accord. My toes curled and my legs cramped and my vision swirled as it felt like a thousand white hot needles stabbed away at my skin. I managed to flip over to my back, arching it, nails digging into the carpeting. I'm sure I would have been screaming if anything would come out, but the burning strangled me. Was this an allergic reaction? Was I dying? I needed help…But then the pain seared through any thoughts I was capable of.

* * *

 **Siren Song - The Secret World**

* * *

And then it subsided again, differently this time. Everything was numb and disconnected, almost like a dream. I began to rise to my knees when I was sure it was over and movement wouldn't trigger a relapse, but it was like it never happened. I began to rise to my feet, although I wasn't certain I was pulling the strings in this situation. It was a strange sensation. Almost like my body wasn't quite my own, but I couldn't concern myself with that right now. There were more important things. The noise, for example, that I was beginning to notice. A peculiar rhythmic thumping coming from somewhere nearby and I was being dragged toward the door by invisible forces. I _needed_ it…I opened the door, or maybe it opened itself, and as though sleepwalking, I found myself drifting down the hallway. If I could just make it to the end…to what I required to make myself feel good again…To feel complete again. There was an ache in the pit of my soul and it was tied to the hunger and the thirst. I didn't know when it started, all I knew is that it was there and it needed to stop. Everything moved in slow motion. My hand was nearly on the handle, and then I was being yanked backwards.

Hands wrapped themselves around my arms, dragging me quickly back into another apartment and I whipped around, furious that someone would dare stop me. _I needed_. Something. Anything. Everything. I was met with the stony faces of Jay and Mike. The mixture was odd, but it was the last thing on my mind then. They were calm, serious, and faster than my mind could handle at that moment. Most importantly, they had me on a couch in fractions of a second, preventing me from getting…

 _'Ca͠l̀m ͠d͡o̶wn…'_

Michael clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing my shrieks and whispering things my ears had gone deaf to. Meanwhile, Jay pinned me, one hand on either shoulder. I was like a toddler throwing a tantrum in the grocery store who wouldn't listen to reasons or excuses. Every second I was kept from what I wanted allowed the inferno inside me to grow hotter and it already threatened to cook me live. I wanted to rip them off of me, and I would kill them if that was what it took to stop the conflagration before it happened.

' _Br̨e̶a͡the_ … _'_

Mike was talking to Jay over me in rushed sentences, but the distraction was causing Jay to lose his grip on my shoulders. I was almost free. I felt my nails claw into his shoulders and he had to readjust to prevent me from doing any more damage. I snapped my teeth if he got too close and Michael's hands slipped. And then, as though he suddenly had enough, Jay bellowed an order at me.

"STOP." The command rang straight through to my bones. All the fight left me laying on the couch, frozen, too terrified to attempt moving. I had never seen him this way before. "Brenna, you need to calm down." My breathing began to slow.

 _'Relax_ … _Don't think_ …'

The past few minutes began to replay through my head and they no longer seemed normal. What had just happened? Why would I act like that? What was wrong with me? What was it I needed? The events began to fade like a dream in front of my mind's eye. The harder I tried to grasp at the memories, the faster they slipped away.

I was left very confused as to why I was being held on this couch. I had collapsed, then something had happened and now I was being pinned down by Jay and Michael in what I could only assume was Michael's apartment based on the violet light. They slowly started to back off. My eyes felt heavy with the weight of a night without sleep.

"Jay…" My speech slurred and several copies of my vision began to dance around each other. "What's happening to me?" He leaned forward and I was confused that he didn't seem to be worried or concerned with my sudden malaise, just angry. Was it something I did? Or was it something else?

"Go to sleep, Bren." My eyes slid shut. " _You aren't going to remember any of this…  
_

* * *

 **Author's Note : Hey everyone! I'm back! I had a big event to run at a local university that took up most of my time. That and a very exciting trip to JAPAN I'm going on in the next month! I finally caught a break and wanted to try get back into the swing of things before I left. So, are things starting to make sense for you?**


	12. The Truth - Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did.** _  
_

* * *

 _July 31, 1987_

 _They barely made it inside the house, the black swirling masses in the sky bearing down on them until they were through the door and into the safety of the house. At least, that's what they hoped. Sam refused to show her where he had been earlier and insisted that they go straight home where it would be safe so they could call the police and potentially the pope. At first, she was furious. Michael was potentially in serious danger - she couldn't be wasting time with silly games. However, when she glanced in her rearview mirror and noticed that they were being pursued by several swirling black masses, after nearly wrecking the car, she wasted no time in getting them home. Pedal to the metal, the hatchback stood no chance in outrunning whatever they were, but it seemed that she was able to keep just out of their reach. She wasn't a believer before, but this certainly added credence to Sam's concerns._

 _They parked the car in the driveway, unsure of how they would make it into the house with those monsters on top of them. However, things had become oddly quiet. Were they being lulled into a false sense of security, or were they somehow being warded away from the property? She saw no reason why they wouldn't simply tear the car apart to get to them. In case there was any sort of time limit, she decided to get them moving._

 _"Sammy, sweetie?" She placed a hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him, but he was glued to his window, likely searching for any signs of the...She might as well admit it - vampires. "Sammy, we need to get inside now." He nodded, confirming he had heard what she said. "Let's count to three and then we need to run, ok?" Another nod. "Ok. One, tw-" Sam bolted early and Lucy had to clamber out of her seat just to get to the front door before he locked her out. The two immediately split. She dove for the phone while Sam checked doors and windows. She couldn't be positive of what it was she told the police, her thoughts and words were far too jumbled, but they seemed to take her seriously and ensured her that they would send a squad car to their location._ _Once finished, she found Sam curled into a ball in the corner of the living room. With nothing else to do but wait, she decided to join him there._

 _There was a quick knocking at the door, but the two hadn't noticed any sirens. They shared a glance. Sam rapidly shook his head "no."_

 _"Lucy, darling," a male voice called sweetly. "Are you home? Maria said you had to rush home – that there was an emergency?"_

 _"Oh God, Max!" she charged from her place on the floor toward the door._

 _"Mom! It's not safe!" Sam pushed himself onto his feet quickly. "It could be a trick! They could get in!"_

 _"I can't just leave him outside!" She whipped open the door, not wasting any time. "Quickly! Get in!" She ushered him before slamming the door shut once more._

 _"What on Earth is all the fuss about?" Max embraced Lucy. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"_

 _"I imagine you wouldn't believe us if we told you." Lucy clutched the man tightly, attempting to catch her breath. "Sam told me something happened to Michael. He wouldn't tell me where he was – he insisted that we go straight home – but there's these…monsters outside. They chased us the whole way home." Max peeked into the yard, pulling a curtain back._

 _"I don't see anyone out there, Lucy. Are you two feeling alright?"_

 _"I-I know what I saw, Max." It was clear that even she was doubting her sanity, though. Did she really know what she saw? "I don't understand it, but I know...It wasn't normal."_

 _"Well, how about I just go out and take a look around for you?"_

 _"Max, I really don't think that's a good idea." Lucy protested, refusing to let go of him._

 _"Really, I insist!"_

 _"No, Max. It's ok. I've already called the authorities. We can let them handle this...Just in case…" She cautiously peered out the window once more._ _Max's face seemed to harden a little._

 _"You…Did what?"_

 _"Oh, I'm sure it seems silly, but…I didn't know who else to call!" Max slowly removed his glasses, tucking them away in his suit jacket as he began to walk toward her._

 _"Now, why would you go and do a thing like that?"_

 _"Max, I-I don't like the tone you're taking with me." The way he was advancing, while not necessarily menacing on its own, now gave her a very distinct feeling of being boxed in._

 _"Lucy," he softened his voice considerably as he stopped in front of her, lifting his hands to caress her face. "You know, this is all very silly."_

 _"Y-yes." She seemed hesitant but did agree with him. Sam's stomach sank. Something wasn't right._

 _"Mom?" Sam tried to cut in, but Max subtly adjusted her face so that her attention was back on him._

 _"You said yourself – there's no such thing as vampires."_

 _"There's no such thing as vampires…" She repeated. Sam's eyes widened. It's like he was putting her in a trance. But that would mean that he a vampire after all! Even after he passed the tests! How?_

 _"So when the authorities arrive, you will tell them that you were sorry to disturb them." It didn't matter how Max had tricked them, Sam was in real trouble if he was all alone in this._

 _"Of course…"_

 _"H-hey!" Sam yelled trying to turn their attention. Maybe if he could distract Max, the trance would be broken. "Hey!" When noise didn't work, Sam grabbed a nearby stuffed groundhog, the closest and heaviest thing available, chucking it at the back of Max's head. It connected solidly, but Lucy seemed just as out of it as she as before and Max...He immediately rounded on Sam, face transforming to reveal the demon within. With a hiss, he charged the boy. Max was in front of him before Sam could even blink._

 _"Listen, brat," he growled. "I've had enough of your meddling!" He grabbed Sam by the shirt collar, lifting him to eye level. "It was going to be SO perfect! One big HAPPY family! So WHY do I let you keep RUINING things?" He tossed Sam across the room, sending him skidding on the wood floor. Sam curled himself into a ball when he realized Max wasn't through with him yet._ _"It was Lucy that I was after all along. She would never have agreed on her own, so first, I needed Michael." He crouched in front of the boy. "Which was a great success, in my opinion, even if it got a little hairy at the end." He appeared to beckon behind himself for something. "And then, like a good little brother, you would follow, and Lucy would have no other choice."_

 _"How about it, Sammy?" He didn't need to look to know it was his brother that had appeared behind himself out of seemingly nowhere. "Don't you wanna be a family again?"_

 _"Don't make me be the bad guy, Samuel," Max cautioned._

 _Sam was in the process of weighing his options when they all heard the pounding on the door._

 _"Santa Carla police! Open up!" In a split second, he had made his choice. Even with their supernatural speed, the vampires didn't have enough time to react. Sam opened his mouth and he screamed bloody murder. It was the last thing that he would ever do._

* * *

I cracked my eyes open, again filled with the feeling of a drugged sleep. It was dark, but just enough light filtered through the ceiling that I could locate my phone. Turning on the screen, the time read 7:00 – plenty of time to call off work, thankfully. I unlocked the device to do just that but began to notice that maybe I didn't have the right perception. For instance, there were a number of notifications indicating that I had missed my alarms. And the weather on the home screen was only displaying the Monday evening forecast. I had drastically overslept.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," I muttered to myself, noticing that my voice echoed a little more than it would have in my bedroom. The fact that I could see through the ceiling and into a starry sky was suddenly making less sense. My ceiling did not have holes in it the last I checked. Surveying what I was laying on, I determined that it was a mostly unfamiliar couch, but as I began to sit up, recognition washed across me: the cave. Why was I still here? I thought Jay took me home?

Apparently, I dreamed it. Besides, that was the least of my problems. I didn't call off work – I was going to be fired. I wouldn't be able to keep the apartment. I couldn't afford to stay in school. I was completely, fully, one hundred percent, certifiably fucked. And where the hell was everyone? They just left me here? I was about to bury my hands in my face in frustration when I noticed something was covering my right palm, stopping me. I powered up my phone's screen to illuminate a very pretty script scrawled on my skin.

"Brenna," it started. "Try not to freak. Went to get food. Be back soon. Will explain then. Take it easy." I recognized the handwriting as Marko's. So, they really _had_ just left me here to sleep all day, those assholes! I told them I couldn't stay here! And now I was stuck again because they were gone. Damn it...They were always disappearing, and always at the worst times! "PS – Called off work for you. Boss very understanding." I finished reading. This new bit of information somewhat quelled my temper. Maybe they were _slightly_ more considerate assholes than I pegged them as. I could only imagine what kind of excuse the group came up with for my boss...On second thought...Maybe I preferred not to know.

I sat up fully, de-cocooning myself from the three blankets I was bundled in and sliding on my boots that had been so considerately removed and set next to the couch. I took a breath. Okay, okay. They hadn't done a _terrible_ job looking after me, I supposed. It was truly my fault for going out in the first place – I couldn't take it all out on the boys. so, now what? Sit and wait for their return? I wasn't exactly comfortable in the cave on my own. It was dark and full of unfamiliar sounds which were starting to give me the heebie jeebies without any of the fires lit, and I couldn't find any lighters laying around. The weather was mild enough and I figured I would move outside to where it was a little better lit and I might feel more comfortable. However, as I stood and stretched, my ankle began to ache and I was reminded of the fresh tattoo. I would need to get that cleaned soon, too. I couldn't wait to see how it was healing!

I realized my phone battery, deprived of a night of charging, was now nearly dead. I hoped I had enough juice to power a flashlight for the minute it would take me to get out and that it wouldn't die in the middle of the darkest portion of the cave lying between the outdoors and the inner chamber. As an added safety measure, I flipped the device into airplane mode before turning the light on, hoping to ensure its survival. I was careful of my footing, analyzing every step before I took it and that turned out to be very fortunate, although not for the reasons I anticipated. I forgot how easily I was able to see in this section recently, but if it hadn't been for my added care, I might have never noticed the small silver bangle on the ground. I recognized it immediately as an Alex and Ani bracelet by its style and plucked it up, pocketing the jewelry with the intent of figuring out who its owner was. These things didn't come cheap and I was sure someone would be missing it. However, I scrunched my face in thought as I proceeded. David said they didn't invite many people over - just the special ones. Did one of the boys have a girlfriend I wasn't aware of?

I extinguished the phone light once outside, trying to shake the odd scowl I had manifested as I seated myself on some rocks by the entrance of the caves. What was with the mood swings and me lately? And what was it that was even bothering me? Was I...Jealous? No, that would be ridiculous. I was not romantically interested. Ok, that was a lie. I was interested in _at least_ one of them. A more accurate statement would be that I wasn't allowing myself to be romantically interested. There was no way any of them were interested in me in that way - I wasn't their type. Besides, I already tried dating the bad boy. It ended with me getting cheated on with my best friend. So, no. Never again. Not happening. No way. My brain seemed to have other ideas, broadcasting some less than chaste images to the forefront of my mind.

Frustrated, I stood up, peeking around for any sign of the boys or their bikes. They typically hid them pretty well, so I couldn't be sure if they were really gone or just out for a stroll. I kicked at some rocks, paced a bit, and when they still didn't appear to have shown up, I didn't know what else to do but to continue sitting on my rock. I was too pussy to go for my own stroll at night, so I would just stay put. My hands were itching to play with my phone, but I held myself off to conserve the battery. Instead, my hand found the bracelet in my pocket. I decided to examine it a little further. It was too dim to really make out the design on the main pendant. I could really only tell that it was made up of a number of swirls and something that looked like an eight. Even in the low lighting, it looked familiar, but I couldn't place it.

A scream pierced the stillness of the night, interrupting my thoughts. I wanted to play it off as a prank, but it had a certain indescribable tone to it that told me this was anything but a joke. There was actual horror in the pitch of that wail, and the way that it was abruptly silenced did not ease my nerves. It sounded like it was far off, but how could I be sure? Noises often echoed strangely in these hills. I regretted coming outside at all, but I wasn't sure if this was better or worse than being inside. In the cave, I was shielded unlike I was outside. But, if whatever was causing the screaming stumbled upon the cave, I had no way out. At least I had some options if I chose to stay outside...But this park was huge and easy to get lost in.

Then there was the nagging feeling that I should just go see what was going on. I wasn't sure what I would do once there, but my gut told me to just follow the sound despite my head shrieking at me to start moving in the opposite direction. All these thoughts tugged at me in both directions, the resulting indecision ultimately preventing me from going anywhere. That's when I started to hear it: branches snapping. Were they actually coming toward me, or was it my imagination? I dug into my purse, retrieving the steak knife I had tucked away there before leaving the apartment.

* * *

 **Bpatrol - CW/A**

* * *

I saw things moving over the hill in the other direction. They might have been people. It was difficult to tell until they began lighting the fire, and even then I couldn't make out features. I began to slide from my place on the rock, back toward the cave, but I just couldn't rip my eyes away. I could count at least three, possibly more before I saw another emerge from the woods, dragging something behind them. As they scooped the object up into their arms, I couldn't help but notice how remarkably body-like it was. Then, unceremoniously, it was dumped into the flames. Now I could see the object...Its...Their figure much more clearly. That was absolutely a person they had just dragged out of the woods. I could feel my heart climbing into my throat. It looked too slender to be one of the boys, but what if...? No, the truth of the situation was much worse. One of the group let out a cheer and I had no difficulty determining it was the unmistakable howl of Paul. I thought I was going to be sick.

I shouldn't have ever wondered where they went. All those times they disappeared, it probably had something to do with this. Everything they had ever said or done took on a new meaning for me. They were the reason for all the missing people, of that I was becoming more and more certain. But, why? They had no reason to be killing anyone – they didn't have any vendettas against humanity as far as I could tell, and they didn't seem crazy. Well…Not in a murderous way. I had a brief flashback of the night I met Marko.

 _"He's fine,"_ the blonde boy with the innocent smile and the young face had promised me not so long ago. _"He just needs to sleep it off a bit."_ Knowing Marko and his friends now, the kid on the ground wasn't anyone I recognized as associating with them. What if I had stumbled into a murder scene that very night? I could feel the bile rising up in my throat. Marko had stood there, cool as a cucumber, and even flirted with me while I kicked at a fucking corpse. And then I remembered Miriam. I looked down at the bracelet still in my hand. I was clutching it so hard I half expected it to snap under the pressure. I knew exactly why this bangle looked familiar. I had complimented Miriam on wearing a similar one just four days ago. Could they have…?

What about the jacket they got me? I was reminded that I didn't see any tags, a thought that hadn't even crossed my mind just hours ago. Had they...What if they took it off of someone they murdered? I hurriedly tore it from myself, flinging it away as though it were diseased. I did a quick survey of my pockets and discovered that I had everything on me that I needed: phone, wallet, keys, ID. I was ready to run if I had to, but first, I pulled out my phone, fumbling to turn off airplane mode. As I waited for bars to light up, my hands began to shake a little. I prayed, for the first time in years, to anything or anyone listening that I had enough battery for this. I input the three digits and tried to keep my breathing calm, determining what I needed to say while the call was still connecting so that I could get out all the information I had the moment they answered in case the phone died.

"Nine-one-one, what's your…" And, just like that, my hopes were dashed. My phone was dead, like something out of a goddamn horror movie. It was time to run.

"Brenna!" I froze after just a few steps. My knife clattered to the ground as my body locked into place. Stupid! How do you drop your only defense? And of course, it had to be him. It had to be David. Had he noticed? "You're up!" I kept myself pointed away for a moment, trying to compose myself and rid my face of emotion. If I could play this right, he would have no idea of what I had seen and I could walk away from this. So far he just sounded happy to see me. But I knew, if he had reason to believe for even a second that I was suspicious, or worse, had been armed…

I pivoted, placing a smile on my face as close to natural as I could muster. But with David's eyes boring into me, I wasn't sure how long I would be keeping that up.

"Yeah, I was wondering where you guys went!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," David saw me lower the cell phone. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Nah, I was just trying to make a call, but" I held the phone up and pressed the power button a few times as proof. "It died on me anyway." Shit, why would I say that? I was very much in the "no-one can hear you scream" area of town and I just showed him I had no way of contacting the outside world. Think fast… "I thought my roommates would be looking for me." There. Now he would know someone would be checking up on me. He smiled slyly and I already knew he had a counter.

' _Don't lie…_ '

"I figured they had given up on your curfew by now. They hardly seemed to care at all when you disappeared on them the past couple of nights. I'm sure they'll be fine." He was right. They wouldn't notice for days, and it was like he wanted me to _know_ that he was aware of this fact. I made another attempt at a smile. "Why don't you join us by the fire, Brenna? Food's probably still warm."

"Sure!" He had to know that I knew. I could feel myself quake a little, but kept that smile glued to my face as though it were the only thing keeping me alive. I guessed those many years of dance competitions when I was a kid finally paid off. That expression wasn't budging like it was permanently adhered there.

"Oh, here," I heard him say, picking up something from the ground. "You almost forgot your coat!" He held the garment out expectantly, assisting me in sliding my arms into the sleeves and I wanted to scream.

' _Can you feel the death on it, Brenna?_ '

As I slid the leather across my skin, and I felt every damn centimeter of it as it slithered across, I realized I had a couple options here: I could stick it out and hope beyond all hope that they didn't murder me and voluntarily took me home, or I could try and get a jump on David and make a run for it. But then what? I didn't know where I was to get out of here on foot and I was an exceptionally slow runner. Even if I made it to a road, I wouldn't trust anyone I got in a car with to not kill me themselves – this was Youth Haven, after all. The realization sunk in that I was in it for the long haul. There was really no choice to make.

I was terrified to turn my back on David, but he made it clear that I was to walk first. His hands had never left my shoulders, I discovered, and he began to push me forward.

"Throw some more logs on the fire!" He yelled ahead. "Sleeping beauty is up!" They were probably trying to completely hide the body from my view. This was their heads up.

I joined everyone else at the bottom of the hill, not able to hold the manic expression on my face any longer. The proximity to a burning corpse was just too much. David remained at my side, an arm draped lazily around my shoulders. I wasn't sure that my shaky knees would be able to support the weight.

"Oh, I'm sorry," David pulled me closer to his chest. "I didn't realize you were so cold. Let's get you closer to that fire…"

"Brenna, are you ok?" It was one of the only times I ever heard Marco's voice take a serious edge.

"Just…Not quite feeling back to myself." I pulled a twitchy half smile. I tried to look anywhere but in front of me at what very well might be the final resting place of some poor soul. "I'm still tired, I think."

"You slept the whole day, girl." Paul pointed out. "That's, what? Eleven hours?"

"Eh…" I kicked at the ground. "Time's a social construct." The boys laughed lightly at the inside joke, but things were still tense. I couldn't devote any more thought power to keeping up an act while simultaneously breathing as little as possible, afraid I might catch a whiff of whatever burnt bodies smelled like.

"Hey, Jay," Marko tried to catch the attention of his friend, but Jay didn't seem to be paying attention to anything other than me. I was starting to sweat under the intensity of his gaze. I was going to blow it. Fuck. Marko shoved him a little. "Josh!" And now, as I slowly returned the stare of the boy across from me, I began to feel like I was being submerged in an ice bath. I didn't hear whatever Marko was saying after that. It didn't matter. All thoughts of hiding my emotions were lost as things began to slide into place. I barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping wide open.

"I think we're going to take it to go." Apparently, they were discussing the Arby's food piled next to Paul. Jay began to stand, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, taking me out of David's grasp and steering me away from the fire. My skin crawled. I didn't want him anywhere near me. "Brenna doesn't seem very comfortable. I'm going to give her a ride home." Quieter, as his eyes began to bore into mine, "Say goodnight, Brenna."

"Goodnight." My voice was soft and weak. They waved their goodbyes. Paul and Marko appeared confused, Dwayne was as stoic as ever, and David…David was grinning like a madman, the flames causing shadows to dance across his face, contorting it into something frightening.

"So," the man escorting me waited until we were well out of earshot of the others. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"I hadn't noticed that you looked like…" My voice was monotone and numb. "You always had your face covered..." I fell silent, processing the information a while longer as he steered me toward his bike. "You were dead." But as he turned to look at me, even in the moonlight, now I could see it. He had ditched the glasses I used to call dorky, grown out his hair, and now sported a small amount of scruff. He had also bulked up, it seemed. But I refused to meet his gaze, satisfied with staring over his shoulder. We stood like this for a while.

"The last time I saw you, you were twelve." His voice was hardly above a whisper. "You really grew up, Bren."

"Why didn't you say something?" I cut him off. My tone was hardly questioning.

"I didn't even recognize you either. Not until the other night when you took your makeup off, then you pulled your hair up like you always used to and you mentioned your birthday, and it couldn't be a coincidence then. But I was afraid if they knew…" He faltered, clearly not thinking through what to say next.

"It would complicate things." I locked onto his gaze at that point, and he knew that I had seen and understood what took place at the fire. He nodded.

"And by then you had already been dragged in. But there's more to it than that. I tried to stop you from-"

"Do you know they blamed me, Josh?" I cut him off again, not interested in anything else he had to say about tonight. I wasn't ready to process that yet, so I was going to find other ways to hurt him. "Our family? Your friends? Most of all, Mom and Dad. They said it was my fault that you were dead. And the worst part of it all was that I started to _believe_ them." My tongue was moving faster than my brain. This man – my brother - could easily kill me. I was on very thin ice. Fuck it. He needed to hear this. "And, what, you used that as your cover to run away? Faked your death on the phone with your own God damn sister? Do you know how fucked up that is? Never mind where the body they stuffed in the coffin came from…" I had to fight to keep my voice from becoming shrilly and carrying back to the fire. Now it was his turn to be unable to look at me. "I should have never come here," I concluded.

"No, you shouldn't have." Joshua agreed. After what felt like ages of awkward silence, he finally met my gaze and we stared at each other - both sets of eyes narrowed, both sets of arms crossed, neither willing to budge from their stubborn stance.

"Just take me home." I tried to keep all pleading out of my voice. If I sounded like I was in control of the situation, maybe I would be. "I'll forget all about this and all about you."

"I'll take you home, but if you think we're just going to let you go now, you're wrong." I could feel the color draining out of my face. "There's more you don't know," he insisted, motioning for me to follow him.

* * *

 **Every Breath You Take (Major to Minor) - Chase Holfelder**

* * *

As I sat down on the bike, I avoided touching him for as long as possible. When we started to move, I held onto anything that wasn't part of my brother, nearly falling off in the process. He didn't seem too concerned. It would probably be easier for him if I just took a tumble, anyway. I considered it one more sign that I wasn't safe with him. We parked and he walked me into the apartment and to my suite's door rather than just watch me on my way inside, gesturing once there to indicate I should proceed before him. I begrudgingly held it open when it was clear he would be following me in.

He was clearly on a mission. Within seconds he located the wall phone, walked over, and yanked its cord out. He demanded the cell phone from my pocket next.

"What the fuck, Josh?"

"I don't want any temptations around." He explained beginning to pat me down for the device when I didn't immediately offer it to him. "Call the police and we'll hunt you down right after we finish off every last person who ever knew your name in this town." He waved the cell phone at me. "We'll know who they are."

"You hurt a single one of them," I threatened. It was frightening hearing words like that coming from my own flesh and blood, but more-so that I hadn't even noticed Jack's knife in my hand until I held it at Josh's throat. "You hurt one of them to get to me and the police will be the last of your worries." I rephrased.

"I doubt that." He laughed dismissively, pushing the knife away with ease, calling my bluff. "We'll be watching for you, Brenna." His tone turned serious. "I'll buy you what time I can, but eventually, you're going to slip up." He made it sound inevitable like he had done this countless times before. He probably had, I realized. "They will be watching you like hawks. If you leave your room, or if one of us manages to get in…" He looked like he was searching for the right words. "You're going to know the truth about us firsthand." I swallowed hard, trying to keep a brave face. "If you run, if you call the cops, if you alert anyone to what's going on, we will start killing the people closest to you. When you've had enough, or when you start asking questions you can't seem to find answers to, all you have to do is walk out the front door. We'll be waiting." I hadn't noticed how he seemed to tower over me, or how my feet no longer wanted to hold me up. "I never wanted it to be this way…" He trailed off as though it was some sort of apology.

"I know…" and, although it didn't excuse any of this, I believed him. Truly. I didn't think that if he had known I was his sister that he would have put me in harm's way, deranged lunatic or not.

"Talk to me, Brenna." Josh tried to make eye contact with me, but I avoided it, knowing my walls wouldn't hold up if I had to confront him. "Tell me you understand what's at risk here." My rage was letting up little by little and all the other emotions that were waiting until this moment began to make themselves known. Fear. Regret. Loneliness.

"I understand." He turned to leave, but I grabbed his sleeve, holding him in place. "You know, Jay, I'm really fucking pissed at you."

"But that's not all, is it?" He always did have that ability to see right through me. Time apart hadn't dulled that particular skill.

"I'm…confused," I admitted. "Just…Help me understand. Why would you feel the need to fake your death? You had such a great life. You had everything for you. Why cut it off there? And why are you killing these people? None of this adds up. And I just…" My eyes had fallen to the floor by this point. "I missed you so much. You were my best friend, my idol, and then you were gone, and…This is so fucked up. Half of me wants to run away from you screaming bloody murder, and the other…Is it weird that I just want a hug?" My nostrils flared a little as tears began to well up. I saw that he opened his arms, offering me the choice if I wanted to go to him. He wasn't going to make the first move. I could feel the pull again, a little tug at my core, bringing me to him. Bringing me home. I decided to just go with it, wrapping my arms around him fiercely as though I was afraid he would disappear again.

"Why?" It was all I could choke out before I began to openly weep into his chest. I felt him return the hug, his own arms loosely curling around me, rubbing my back lightly and just letting me get everything out.

"It's…" He exhaled in a frustrated fashion. "I didn't want you guys getting involved. You would have wound up dead. Or worse." I decided then that I didn't want to ask any more questions. I could surmise what he likely meant.

He let me cry it out for a bit, patting my back occasionally, reassuringly. I finally pulled myself away, eyes puffy and face bright red.

"Did you hear about dad?"

"Yeah." His voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Was it worth the consequences?"

"Yes." His answer was immediate. "You and mom are still..." He didn't seem to be able to complete the sentence, but I didn't want to get into that now.

"What happened to you, Josh?" I searched his face for answers I was certain he wouldn't give me. "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into here?" When he didn't answer, I decided to press on. "We could leave together. Just us. Vanish off the map. It doesn't have to end this way."

"It has to, Bren." His eyes met mine, filled with years of collected regrets. "They're my family now. I can't just "get out." And…There's so much more you just don't understand yet." Yet. He wasn't going to let this go. What about us? Weren't we family anymore? "And…" he stopped, clearly debating if he should continue. "I'm torn. I want you to run away and never look back at this hell-hole; to be kept safe and…innocent." He began to shake his head and my stomach fell. "And, at the same time, I know it's too late, and you're already in too deep." My head spun. Please, no… "And I keep feeling this pull..." I had taken a few steps backward without realizing it. "I know you feel it too." He advanced on me. I was disgusted by what I was hearing, yet I couldn't deny what he was saying. That ever present tug, from the moment I arrived in Young Haven. "Just let me help you."

"Goodbye, Josh." They weren't the words I wanted to say, but I needed to say them. I refused to entertain the half of me screaming to just say yes. The half that had been missing for nine years, begging to be reconnected. Not at this cost. He nodded to himself, knowing that this was the verdict I would come to. We both knew it had to happen this way, regardless of feelings or instincts or anything else.

"You just have to come to us, Bren. Everything will make sense. Good luck."

As he pulled the door shut behind him, the click of the latch echoed with finality, as though I had been entombed. I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding, beginning to hyperventilate a little. I thought over what he had said, and I wondered just how long I _could_ hold out. I had enough food to last me for a while if I rationed it, but what about my roommates letting one of them in while they were moving? I scrambled to grab as many supplies as I could so I could book it back to my room. I had food, I had water, and I had entertainment. But what about class and work? My heart sunk. I couldn't hold them off forever. I could take some classes online after this semester, but without going to work, I was going to run out of money to keep the apartment. New strategy: I just needed to make sure I never went anywhere alone and I would be fine. They wouldn't try anything if I was around people, right? But…What friends did I even have anymore? I had shoved everyone else out of my life when I met _them._

I called off work for the next day and sat up most of the night watching reruns of Robot Chicken, unable to bring myself to sleep. It struck me that a week ago I looked forward to this nightly routine while now I couldn't be more miserable. I cried myself to sleep, wishing that I would have just walked past Marko that Halloween night. None of this would have happened. I thought back to my second introduction to "Jay" when I had to rescue him from my vampire slaying neighbors. Maybe the Darts really weren't that far off from the truth? Maybe they could actually be my knights in shining armor? No. If I even pretended to validate their theories, who knew what repercussions that could have down the road.

Regardless, the whole situation nagged at me until the sun was starting to break over the horizon. Something still wasn't right. Why would they have treated me like they did only to kill me? It didn't seem like a scenario in which fattening the pig for slaughter made much sense. Serial killers didn't typically hang out with their future victims - it started to look suspicious. Unless that whole "one of us" song and dance from the other night was about me joining some fucked up serial killer club – that seemed to be what Josh was hinting at, but that didn't sound quite right either. And, while it didn't make any sense, I also didn't want to find out any more about the boys than I already did. With them it seemed like the deeper I dug, the less I wanted to know. My eyes were beginning to feel so heavy. Dealing with the stress of what I learned was draining the life out of me…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey all! Hopefully two updates this week will make up for my absence. :P Once again I gotta trim this one in half as it got a little tot long. I'll probably update again on Wednesday unless there's an outcry for an update faster than that. :)**


	13. The Truth - Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did. _  
_**

* * *

 _I had called Santa Carla my home for a very long time. Longer than most of its residents had even been alive. But now, it was time for an unfortunate change in scenery once the dust settled in the Lucy incident. As my family grew, I should have known that relocation would become a necessity to avoid detection. The more vampires, the more...Messes. Eventually, someone would piece things together and point the finger our direction. Chances of them killing one of us were slim, but it would be simplest if we could avoid the issue altogether._

 _Michael was the first to offer a suggestion, and he requested that we split up. In fact, Michael had expressed interest in moving out on his own for some time, b_ _ut I simply could not allow it. We needed to stick together, at least for a short while. I had learned from my own creator, as he did from his creator before him, that our kind did not do well on their own, especially as fledgling vampires. It was a very lonely existence. One day he would be ready, but not now. The only other option, then, was to limit our time in one place. It was decided that we could spend no more than ten years in one location to avoid raising suspicion. With a plan set, the only question was: where to next?_

 _Most of us had never ventured too far out California, so with an excellent opportunity for a road trip, we decided to take a few years to tour the United States. We made a particularly lengthy stop in Arizona to handle some business, but also enjoyed extended stays in Colorado and even Mexico. We decided to call Louisiana our new home for the early 90s. While I enjoyed it, the atmosphere was a little too refined for the boys, so I decided to cut the stay short to take them somewhere a little more similar to home. It was a crummy little beach town in South Carolina. Few people actually lived there full-time and outside of beach season, it was barren. And violent. It made masking our deeds easy. Fewer caves than Santa Carla, though, unfortunately._

 _But once we had settled in and fell into the monotony again, I wanted more. The boys were forever frozen at their various ages mentally and physically, it seemed, but had each other to stay entertained. I craved someone I could relate to myself; someone to lay with. Lucy had sparked the idea, and I was saddened to bury her and her youngest, but there would be others. In the timeline of my life, she was nothing more than a blip. I hardly remembered what she looked like let alone the reasons I chose her. But I needed to prepare. I spent a great deal of time thinking about my last attempt and dissecting why it failed. About the time I figured it out was when I met Maggie. She was on vacation with her sister and had left a husband and two children at home, but she was perfect. Not only was she nurturing and meek, but timelessly beautiful. She might have people waiting for her at home, but for now, she was mostly alone and I had plenty of time to woo her. Thanks to some counseling from my maker, I also had a trick up my sleeve to help the process along._

 _Vampire blood has many wonderfully handy properties, you see, even in small doses. When I invited her and her sister out to dinner I could have surreptitiously swapped her drink for some of my blood. With some persuasion, no one would have never noticed it. After the initial change, however…It would have been another fight to get her to finalize her transformation as she became resistant to my mental manipulations. Instead, I would take things slower this time around and allow her to come to me._

 _One singular drop of my blood was all she needed to get the ball rolling. The moment it hit her tongue the consequences would take hold. There would be some minor side effects, but ones that could be easily rationalized away – the minute sensitivity to the sun, her circadian rhythm shifting slightly, a meager aversion to garlicky foods. Most importantly, though, it would begin the bond. To a human unaware of what was happening to them, it would become a nagging pull toward the person with whom they shared a bond. It was known as the call of blood - an indescribable need to be near the vampire whose blood existed within their system. I knew the true reason. However, Maggie would not have this realization and would come to her own conclusions about why she wanted to spend so much time with me and how terribly lonely and cold it felt to be without. And when she returned home from her vacation, it would only become increasingly more painful knowing exactly what it was that would bring her relief from the torment and not being able to get it back. But that was just what I wanted – a slow and almost imperceptible build up of tension. I couldn't move too quickly or I might end up in another mess. While I formulated the next phase of my plan, we exchanged a number of late night phone calls that cemented her feelings. If only I lived closer, she said…Well, who was I to deny a lady? I continued to stir the pot for several years. I could wait. At least that meant one brat would be out of the house within a couple of years. That would make things even easier._

 _It took about a year to find housing near Maggie considering she was much further inland and viable housing was harder to come across. The boys were already upset about moving away from the beach. I figured thrusting them into a housing development's basement would cause an outright rebellion. I just asked they be patient. Eternity was a long time. They would see the ocean again. Meanwhile, I told Maggie that it was a work transfer that brought me into town – that it must be fate. She ate it right up. Yet still, she refused my advances. She would deny her heart for the happiness of her family. How touching. No matter. Truthfully, I found her loyalty to be one of her best qualities and her reaction only further proved I had selected the right target. Unfortunately, she was loyal to the wrong individuals. That could be arranged, it would just take time and some strong nudges._

 _I convinced Maggie to sneak out to late dinners as frequently as I could. With two adolescent children, it was difficult to find a time when they were both sleeping when I was also able to call on her. However, after the oldest moved to college, I knew it was time. The slightly empty nest would begin to wear on her. It wouldn't be long until I gave her the second dose of my blood, the dose that would begin her life's downward spiral. And then there would be one less person to pull her out of it. As the side effects became more severe, they would begin impacting her in more obvious ways which would only further drive a wedge between her and her family. The inability to wake up early and her late night rendezvous with me would cause her work to suffer until eventually she was fired. As parts of her quite literally died, she would become lethargic. Furthermore, when her slight obsession with me evolved into a full blown addiction, her attachment to even her own husband would pale in comparison. I would be the air she breathed. Nothing would make her happy aside from being with me anymore. It would be quite easy to convince her of the fact that we were soulmates by then, and that resisting would only make things harder for us. But still she refused to let go of her family. Fortunately, fate had worked this sticky situation out for me. Or perhaps I have you to thank, Brenna..._

* * *

It barely felt like I had closed my eyes when I was jolted from my sleep by horrendous nightmares of…My mother? And Someone else. It was the first time I had remembered a dream since I first came to Young Haven. It was utterly bizarre…

 _'Brenna…'_

I had more important things to deal with than dream interpretation, though. The boys hadn't shown up, as far as I could see. And, once again, the sun was already down when I woke up. This nocturnal lifestyle I had fallen into actually suited the situation, thankfully. The boys were most likely to try something in the middle of the night when no one else was awake or around which meant I also needed to be awake and vigilant then. The only downside was that I was starting to lose track of the day of the week. My laptop told me it was November fifth. If my life hadn't taken a turn for the weird, I would have been hosting my annual V for Vendetta party tonight. I supposed I could always just watch it by myself and make eggy in a basket if I had the food laying around…But it just wouldn't be the same.

My laptop dinging pulled me back to the present and Facebook flashed at me that I had a new message. It was Philip, William's brother. I hadn't heard from him in ages, but he had a tendency of popping up out of the blue to ask if I wanted to go do something.

"Will and a few friends of mine are going back to Crandall tonight for a little get-together. Now that you're one of the cool kids and started going out, do you want to come?" I grimaced. It would be a long time before I ever returned to that scene again. Or…Maybe this was actually a good idea. I would be surrounded by people. There was no way they would be stupid enough to try anything there! Right? I wondered if this would be considered cheating...

"I wasn't planning on it," I typed. "But I do really need to get out of the apartment. Is this going to be a small thing, or should I be getting dressed up?"

"It's pretty chill, only close friends. We're sitting in the parking lot if you want to hop in?" I hadn't showered, I wasn't wearing makeup, but I couldn't turn down the offer.

"I'll be right there." Actually, I realized, I had no idea what I looked like at all, but I tried to smooth out my hair in the best ponytail I could muster and rubbed my eyes to make sure the makeup was all off. I really didn't want to look at myself in the mirror because that would just solidify all the things I was feeling, and I didn't have time for a breakdown.

I grabbed the usual effects, ID and keys, and felt very strange about not having my phone, but there was nothing I could do about that. Then, readying myself, I peeked out the door, terrified of what I might find. Seeing nothing but an empty hallway, I bolted out, not chancing another look back.

 _'Brenna…'_

I ran out the side doors and I kept running until I reached the car, flinging the door open and throwing myself inside. Everyone within the car stared at me.

"Are…you in some sort of rush?" William asked from the front seat.

"Just, uh, really excited to be going out!" I knew I was being suspicious, and I knew the nervous laugh didn't help my case any. Fortunately, William and Philip exchanged a glance but didn't ask anything else. They put the car into motion.

* * *

 **Low - Cracker**

* * *

The party, for having _only_ fifty guests, was actually a chill time, as was promised, although I'm certain the largeness of the house played into this. I sat with Will and Phil in what I assumed at this point were their usual seats by the hookah and hardly saw anyone else around.

"You seem really tense, Brenna," William commented. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine." I hadn't been able to sit still, constantly fidgeting, tapping a foot, or playing with my hair.

"You seem like you're looking for someone." Philip pointed out. I had to find a way explain it off without giving them a reason to try and act like heroes and get themselves killed.

"There's just this guy I'm trying to avoid." I shrugged. "We had…A falling out."

"Ah, that sucks." William seemed to buy it. "Well, if they give you any grief here, we'll just kick them out." I tried not to imagine how that would end.

"Hey, I know what would lighten your mood!" Philip nudged the girl sitting next to him, I think her name was Lilah, who started digging around in her purse. She eventually pulled out a baggie of something plant-like and what I recognized as rolling papers.

"Oh! Uh…I've never smoked before," I admitted, watching Lilah light up a pre-rolled joint and pass it to me.

"Never?" William seemed incredulous. "Oh, it should totally take the edge off. Here…" He helped me re-light the joint and tried to coach me through. "Just suck for a couple of seconds, good…" he watched me stare at him wide-eyed and confused about how badly this burned. "Good, now pull it away and breath in some air, hold iiiiiiit…There, now, let it out." The room disappeared in a cloud of smoke for a second and I was positive, as I began hacking, that part of my lung would be laying on the floor somewhere when it cleared.

"Woah, boss hit!" William waved his hands in front of his face, trying to get the cloud to clear while Phil passed me a bottle of water I could to sip from.

"Don't worry, coughing is good!" He assured me, taking the joint and clapping me on the back. "It just means you're going to get _really_ high. No need to be embarrassed!" He started to raise the blunt to his lips, but paused, looking back to me once more. "I won't tell Jordan if you don't?" He offered a pinky and I wrapped mine around his to seal the deal.

"Promise." I agreed. She would flip on both of us. It was just another reason in a long list detailing why I was drifting away from my roommate. If she looked down on people who drank, I would be subhuman to her after this.

The brothers were right about the weed helping me to relax a little, but they hadn't warned me about the paranoia. Within a few minutes could feel my heartbeat in my chest and I kept scratching at it. I eventually grabbed William's hand and placed it against my neck.

"Does it seem like my heart's beating faster than it should be?" He just laughed.

"You're fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"It's a normal side effect. You're not dying. It's just a lot of serotonin rushing your brain at once. Breathe." I tried to do as they said, but my heart felt like it was hammering through my chest and it was hard not to pay attention. Honestly, it had to be my mind playing tricks on me, but it almost started to sound like I was hearing more than one heartbeat…

 _'Brenna…'_

Not to mention how dry my mouth was, compounding with the soreness that had already settled in my throat…

 _'This isn't where I should be…'_

I wanted to tell them but, then I wasn't so certain that I had said it already. I didn't want to look like an idiot and keep saying the same things over and over again, so I decided to keep my mouth shut, which in turn increased my anxiety.

 _'I should be leaving…'_

I just kept flitting my eyes between people, uselessly, not able to keep up with the conversation going on in front of me, terrified to speak in case I sounded stupid or I had forgotten what I already said.

 _'I shouldn't be here…'_

By the time someone finished a sentence, I couldn't remember how it had started. I tried to follow cues from everyone else's expression. I just wanted to go...

"She's probably getting stuck in her head." I heard Philip say before turning on some music in the background. "That should help a little."

* * *

 **Restless - Unkle**

* * *

"Brenna, talk to us." Will waved a hand in front of my face. Earth to Brenna!"

"Man…I don't know…" I felt a smile start to take over my face the moment I opened my mouth, finding it funny how difficult it was to form a sentence instead of scary as it had been a few seconds before. I ended up hiding my face in my hands, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"Awe, she's so high!" Philip laughed, leaning closer. "How does it feel?"

"Tingly?" I rubbed my hands against each other, staring at them for a few seconds before beginning to open and close them in front of my face…Or maybe it had been a few minutes. Time was starting to slow down on me. "I don't know. I feel like I want to say something, but then I can't remember if I have or not, so I'm worried I keep saying the same stuff over and over. I can't, like…Remember. And I'm reallllly hungry..."

 _'Ignore that…'_

"I think you overdid it a little." Lilah stared pointedly at William. He waved her off.

"Your first time?" Someone's voice over my shoulder which I immediately recognized.

 _'Stay calm…'_

"And you didn't even invite me?" I stared at Paul through half-lidded eyes. To my surprise, I felt...Serene. I just didn't care. They were murderers, they were going to kill me, and that was fine. Literally everything was fine with the entire universe right then.

"Sorry, Paul," I mumbled sheepishly, the corners of my mouth refusing to turn down all the way, giving me a somewhat dreamy look.

"Woah, Brenna!" Marko grabbed hold of my shoulders, getting close enough to check out my eyes. "Look at you! I thought you didn't smoke?" I shrugged. I knew I should be upset with them for being murderers and stuff, I just…Couldn't. I was fresh out of fucks to give about absolutely anything.

"I'm trying new stuff, remember?"

"I'm so proud!" Paul gave a fake sniffle. "Our little Brenna is growing up!" He wrapped an arm around Marko's shoulder, both clearly faking lamentations.

"Guys…" I shoved them both, nearly knocking Marko off the arm of the couch, and they both just laughed.

 _'This feels natural…'_

"I miss you." I said a little more seriously. Although I couldn't stop grinning, the smiles faded off their faces pretty quickly.

 _"You know what you have to do…"_ If it hadn't been for Mary Jane keeping me steady, I would have jumped out of my skin when I felt the hot breath of David tickle my neck as he whispered in my ear. Now it was somewhat pleasant, and I felt myself beginning to lean back into him until I rested against the leather of his jacket. I couldn't see it, but I was positive his expression was wicked. He placed a hand on either shoulder and began massaging gently. I sighed, contentedly, and my eyes began to slide shut. It felt better than any massage I had ever received, but I wasn't sure if it was my level of intoxication, or if David was just that skilled. And the butterflies…That had to be the weed, right? I tried to suppress a moan.

"If you miss us," he brought me back to the present by pulling his magic hands away. "You just have to come see us." There was that voice again, sweet as sin. "We could go right now…" I found myself nodding.

 _'I should stand up…'_

I felt myself rising out of my seat and David offered his hand to me.

 _'I should be going…'_

"I should be going…" I wasn't really sure who I was talking to, but Philip grabbed me, pulling me out of the clouds.

"Hey, we brought you here, so you're our responsibility." He was talking more to David than myself. I pulled my hand back, confused as to how it extended in the first place, hovering just above David's outstretched one. "No leaving with random people we barely know when you're this messed up." I nodded, sitting back down, but still staring at David.

"What _protective_ friends you have, Brenna." David didn't break eye contact as he began to walk past me. " _I wouldn't keep them too close, if I were you…_ " He warned, up against the side of my face again, his low chuckle rumbling through his chest and into mine. He was completely right. Tonight had been a terrible idea. "Boys?" He called. Marko and Paul shifted their gazes to the floor.

"See ya, Brenna." Marko mumbled. Paul just squeezed my shoulder on his way past, reassuringly. I watched them go, unable to shake the feeling that a part of me left with them.

"Were those the guys you were trying to avoid?" Philip asked when they were good and gone.

' _Lie…_ '

"No." I was worried my response might have been too immediate. "Just some other guys I've been hanging out with." He nodded.

"Well, little miss stoner pants," He stood. "I think it's time to get you home anyway. You need a bag of chips, a stupid comedy, and to sleep this all off in time for class tomorrow."

"Sorry, guys," I shuffled my feet. "Didn't mean to cut your night short."

"What time do you think it is?" William snickered. "It's _way_ past bedtime!" He took my hand, pulling me from the depths of the couch. I was especially grateful for the assistance considering that my body felt like it had been filled with cement while I was distracted. They were kind enough to walk me to my room after parking and I determined it would be for the best to follow their instructions: stuff my face, turn on a dumb movie, and try to sleep. But first, I needed to make another stop.

* * *

 **1940 (Amplive Remix) – The Submarines**

* * *

Before changing into my pajamas, I made sure to grab my room key and head across the hall to a certain curly haired neighbor of mine. After a couple of raps, he actually answered. I expected at this time he would either be out cold or just getting back from a bar. He never seemed to be around when I needed him.

"Hey, Brenna!" Michael seemed genuinely happy to see me as he leaned against the doorway. "What can I do for you?

"Heyyyy Michael." I felt like my speech was obviously slurred. Was it? I thought I had come down considerably from where I was previously. He smiled in a knowing way. If it wasn't my manner of speech, it must have been my bloodshot eyes that gave me up.

"You have a little fun tonight?"

"Yeah..." I bit my lip. "Maybe a little _too_ much fun. I was just wondering if I could maybe get that sugar back? And some Kool-Aid to go with it? I figure you kind of owe me one at this point..."

"Yeah, come in!" He stepped aside to allow me entrance. "I have just the thing."

Michael's place was everything I expected out of a college apartment, truthfully. Thick curtains covered the large living room windows which completely blocked out the streetlights. It enhanced the effect that the multiple blacklights in the room created causing the various neon posters to glow brightly in contrast. Beer bottles littered every conceivable open surface and a certain odor lingered amidst the obvious scent of stale beer.

"Make yourself at home!" He offered, pulling a pitcher of a bright red liquid from the refrigerator. "Have a seat!" After pouring us both a glass, he joined me on the couch. "So, how are you? We really haven't gotten a chance to chat since that fight with your roommates the other day. What's their deal, anyway?" He offered one of the drinks to me.

"Ughhh." I was about to take a large swig but set the glass back down on the coffee table. "Well, for all their concern, they've apparently been planning on moving out this whole time. Didn't even have the balls to tell me."

"That's super fucked up." He agreed, producing a glass pipe and a pill bottle from the coffee table drawer. I didn't understand what he was up to until I saw the leafy substance he produced from the container.

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know. Maybe it's for the best. They were acting more like parents than friends anyway. Maybe we're just growing apart." I sighed. "But now I'm going to get assigned random people for roommates. The last time I was assigned a roommate..." I shivered. "Freshman year was rough, man." I sighed deeply. "Damn it, I was having such a good night..."

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't think it was anything that heavy." His head drooped for a moment before popping back up with a sly grin. "But..." He held up a lighter and a pipe. "Maybe this can make up for it?" I considered his offer.

"Yeah, I wasn't really feeling tired yet anyway. Maybe this will help me?"

"Oh, don't worry. This stuff will knock you on your ass." He promised.

"Awesome. I'll go grab us some munchies."

The cheese puffs helped and Michael's movie choice, Eurotrip, kept me out of my head from the start this time around. But, despite how relaxing the high was, sleep was somehow still not coming without a fight. Additionally, despite plowing through the junk food, my stomach gave an embarrassing large gurgle as the credits began to roll.

"Late night food run?" Michael offered. "I know just the thing..."

"Dude, the furthest I could move right now is from my couch to my bed. I'm gonna try and grab some shut eye before I have to be up in the morning."

"Alright..." Michael's sigh sounded clearly disappointed. "Tomorrow night. Promise me you'll let me take you to dinner. I guarantee you haven't had anything like it before."

"Okay, okay!" I laughed. "Actually, that would be really great. I could use some company. The apartment is starting to get a little too quiet."

Like a perfect gentleman, he saw me to his door and watched to make sure I got into my own apartment.

"G'night, Brenna. Sweet dreams."

"Night, Michael! Thanks again!" Once the door was closed, I was slammed with another pang of hunger, but I couldn't do anything about it at this hour. I rubbed at my sore throat and realized that despite going over for a drink, I never actually touched a drop of what Michael had poured for me. Damn. I felt bad for making him wasting a glass, but going back at this point would just be weird. And he still had my sugar! Oh well, I could grab it the next day when he went out. I absolutely needed rest at that moment or I would almost certainly sleep through my alarms and miss another day of work, and I just couldn't afford it anymore. My savings would start to run out at this rate.

But despite being extraordinarily high, sleep still eluded me.

"Oh, come the fuck on..." I grumbled, opting to just turn on some music, turn off the lights and lay with my eyes closed as long as it took for me to pass out. I grinned to myself as I took a deep breath. Everything was still nice and tingly, and realizing how good the sheets felt against my skin, I started making snow angels on the bed. This really _did_ feel good. Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult to just nap for a bit...And then, after a while of laying still, I even began to feel weightless. I could have been floating on a cloud. I wondered why I hadn't tried this sooner.

I must have nodded at some point because time got hazy for a minute, but I began to detect that something was a little off. It felt like I had slipped off the bed or something because I seemed to be laying on my stomach now, bent in an awkward position. I opened one eye groggily to find myself staring at something very white and very close. Not my bed. Not the carpet.

"What…?" I attempted to push myself up and look around. That's when I noticed that my bed was beneath me. I began scrambling, trying my hardest to get myself back down, grabbing the curtains and whatever else I could to pull myself toward the floor. Fortunately, I fell pretty immediately. Unfortunately, I missed the bed and crashed into the carpeting. Ignoring the pain as best as I could, I rolled myself underneath the bed frame a hyperventilating mess, clutching the boxspring as though at any moment I would find myself sucked back up into the ceiling.

Something was very, very wrong.


	14. From the Inside - Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys. I only desperately wish I did.**

* * *

A huge thank you goes out to ShiplessOceans, ZoopBooper, Shrugs, and MurderIsMyPassTime for your reviews. Your encouragement and kind words are what keeps me going!

* * *

When I finally felt brave enough to venture out from under my bed, and it became clear I wasn't going to float to the ceiling like a Willy Wonka experiment gone wrong, I dove for my laptop. I didn't know what else to do. It wasn't like I could call anyone anymore, not after Jay had ripped through my apartment. I couldn't leave, either. That left me with the only people I knew in my apartment building. If I told Michael about any of this, he would laugh it off as being too stoned. If I told the Darts...They might actually believe me and _then_ attempt to _stone_ me.

"Floating on the ceiling" I plugged into Google. Even if there wasn't exactly a rational explanation, it would at least point me in the right direction. The only results it retrieved dealt with construction and painting. "Floating on the ceiling paranormal" I corrected, hating that this was something I had to do.? This was ridiculous. Maybe I had just hallucinated The event. Could weed even do that? Was it laced? Now the page was filled with information dealing with out of body experiences, but this had very clearly been real. I didn't leave my body behind anywhere that I was able to see.

I set aside the laptop, massaging my ankle which I had banged off the window frame on my way down. Then it hit me: my tattoo! What if I had ruined it? Wasn't this how you blew out lines, or something? Actually, I noticed that my appendage didn't hurt anywhere near as much as it did a day or two ago. That didn't seem normal. Alarm bells began to clang in my head. I lightly touched around the area to double check, but truly, the area didn't feel any different than any other patch of my skin. Pulling up a legging, I recognized that the artwork was no longer as vibrant as it had been, but there also was no redness, raised skin, or even scabs. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that it had been healing for months. But that wasn't possible…Right? There also appeared to be some sort of extra, skull-like design hidden in the moth's back that I didn't remember asking the artist to place there. I was reminded of how I thought there might have been more to Josh's tattoo when I first saw it. Regardless, I needed a better look this thing and decided to retrieve a mirror from the bathroom to aid in that effort.

I stumbled through the hall as though in a daze and after flipping on the light, I didn't make it much further. The moment I caught sight of myself in the vanity mirror I had to stop. My eyes were hollow, gaunt, and ringed with purple. I looked like I was half alive, but that wasn't even the disturbing part. No. The reason my hands began to shake and my legs now fought to support me was that I hardly showed up in the mirror in the first place. I was transparent, like some sort of ghost.

I looked down at my hands, still solid in front of me. I touched my arms and face, affirming for myself that I was still solid and real. Then I looked back at my ghost of a reflection. I reached out to touch the glass, trying to validate that what I was seeing wasn't a play of the light. I couldn't come up with any trick that would cause me to clearly see the towels through my torso, though. Things were starting to come together. I let the tattoo and reflection go and drifted into my room, snatching the business card from my bedside table where it remained from the last time I tried checking out the Darts' website. I nervously keyed the address into the computer. It was hosted on Angelfire. Their credibility was fading fast.

"Vampires." I read out loud, thinking that maybe hearing it would help. It didn't. I still felt insane. "I might actually owe those two idiots an apology. Fuck..."

I read everything I could, but it seemed like most of the site was just speculation and sounded outlandish: psychic vampires, the embrace, the mundane, sires...What I was able to find seemed to add up that, as moronic as I felt to admit it, I was some sort of _half_ vampire. The fading reflection, floating, constant hunger and thirst that nothing would satisfy...It all fell in line with the descriptions. It listed a few other tests I could try to know for certain. Hopefully, this would just leave me feeling silly, because if not...I would cross that bridge if I came to it.

Pulling the garlic salt from the spice rack, I sprinkled some on my hand before hesitantly licking it off. I immediately had to spit it back out the way that it burned me like I had ingested a ghost pepper. I flipped on the water hoping to get a handful of water to rinse my mouth out with. However, I also, unfortunately, managed to confirm the running water myth at the same time. Despite leaving the temperature on my sink at the coldest temperature, my hand burned under the stream as though it were scalding. I flipped the water off, backing away slowly until I ran into the fridge, rubbing at my hand and still attempting to work the rest of the garlic out of my mouth.

I returned to the website once the pain subsided, clicking onto the next page to see what else I could try. However, the only further information it seemed to provide was how to kill vampires. That almost certainly ruled out talking to the Darts unless I could keep them convinced I was human. It wasn't worth the risk and I didn't feel particularly confident. But how had this happened? When? I pushed the laptop aside, curling myself around my knees.

* * *

 **Goodbye - Mudvayne**

* * *

 _"When you start asking questions you can't seem to find answers to, all you have to do is walk out the front door…"_ Josh's words rang through my mind. It had to be them. This _had_ to be what they were talking about. But how had they done it? My feet moved me back to the bathroom. My reflection was faint, but I was certain I didn't see any bite marks on me. That was when I noticed a discarded, black garment I hadn't seen for a few days in the corner of the room. It would have been the outfit I wore for my birthday. It was odd that I didn't remember seeing it there before, and I always got changed in my room, not in the bathroom. On a hunch, I picked it up and nearly dropped it again. It was damp and muddy. But that would only make sense if...

I had thought my experiences at the waterfall were a dream, but the clothes wouldn't be wet if I hadn't been there. I had fallen off that cliff. So had the boys. I wouldn't have even been walking those paths if it wasn't for that final bottle of wine. No! It couldn't be! I would have realized if...Wouldn't I?

 _'Brenna…'_

I sank to my knees. I could have stopped this.

 _'Brenna…'_

I sat on my bathroom floor for a while, completely shut down. I had absolutely no intentions of moving from the spot. My life was over, and not in the overly dramatic teenage "middle school Brenna" sense. I had really fucked up. I had no hopes of ever having a normal life ever again. I had lived my life with a finite goal in mind: a certain type of house with a car I had always dreamed about. Finally meeting "the one" and getting to walk down the aisle with them. Having a couple of children, maybe. I had always waffled about whether or not I saw kids in my future, but with the choice suddenly torn from me, I felt a hollowness develop in the pit of my soul.

Now, what did I have to look forward to? What purpose did life hold? There wasn't any point in further pursuing a degree - I probably wouldn't be able to hold down a job if I couldn't go out in the sun again. I was beginning to feel not only violated, but very robbed as memories of enjoying warm days at parks and sunsets over lakes flitted before my eyes. Those days had been stolen from me. Any remaining friends or family I thought I had to this point would need to be completely carved out of my life. I acted like Josh's death had driven us so far apart, but in this moment, it was painfully apparent that it all could have been fixed. I could have driven out to see them all and make amends. I could have made things right with my roommates. I could have made an effort. Now I would never see a single one of them again. Ever. For the rest of eternity.

Unless...I remembered the list on the Darts' website detailing ways to kill vampires. I could use them to defend myself and hold out as a half vampire for as long as possible. Or, if it came down to it, I could use them as a way to end myself. Was that something I was capable of? And...What would happen when I did? I was never particularly religious, but...If there was an afterlife, I would almost certainly be punished, wouldn't I? Even though I would be saving others? Suicide was supposed to be a sin. Or, worse...What if there was nothing after for me? If it all just ended?

* * *

Time lost its meaning quickly while locked in the darkened bathroom. I didn't have any way to keep track of it and, I realized, I no longer needed to leave for food or drink. I was fairly certain it had been actual days since I last moved from my catatonic state, positioned against the wall. Had I slept? Did anyone notice I was missing? Did anyone miss me? I wondered if the boys were still keeping my boss at bay, or if they had simply convinced her that I didn't exist anymore. Was that something they could do? Could they have wiped me off the face of the Earth if they wanted to by making people forget me? It was frightening that no one had checked in by this point, whether it was for lack of caring or more supernatural reasons.

On what I guessed was the second day, I began to think I heard voices.

' _Come outside…_ ' they whispered to me. ' _Join us…_ ' I couldn't be sure if it was something real, or just the imaginings of a mind gone too long without sleep and nutrients. Every time I closed my eyes the demands grew louder until I feared I couldn't resist their compulsions. My dreams felt too real, and more than once I woke to find myself with a hand on the handle to the apartment door, then standing in the hallway, then hanging a foot out the main doors to the apartment before I would come to my senses and run back to my bathroom as fast as my legs could carry me.

 _'It could be so easy...'  
_

* * *

 _I hadn't been home in what felt like forever, and I missed it like crazy. My old friends, the food, just the smell of my home…Mom's birthday was coming up anyway. It was a beautiful night for a ride despite the cold and I thought I would surprise them in the morning by popping out of my room for breakfast. Mom might have claimed she hated it when I did that, but I knew she was actually happy to have me around the house again. I just had to be careful not to disturb anyone on my way in. It was way too late for anyone to be up anyway, aside from maybe Brenna. Our parents were always on her about her late night gaming habits, and I kind of felt bad. Sometimes she got to be a little much, but what sibling wasn't annoying occasionally? Truth be told, I missed the munchkin._

 _They had given up hope of me being a success a long time ago. Instead, they put all their efforts into getting my sister to turn out right. She didn't get away with half as much as I did, so it became my brotherly duty to teach her the tricks of the trade. She looked at me like I was her idol for the simplest things, like showing her how to switch the TV over to a different screen when she was sneaking R-rated movies so they thought she was only watching the news. I couldn't wait until she was a little older and I could actually introduce her to partying. By junior high I already had a stash of beer hidden in my room. I doubted she had even tried a sip of wine at the dinner table._

 _I cut my engine and the lights at the road and decided to walk my bike into the driveway to avoid disturbing anyone – mom was a notoriously light sleeper. It made sneaking out next to impossible. However, I was immediately thrown off when I found a car parked there I didn't recognize. Maybe mom and dad had a friend visiting and spending the night? I didn't recall them having many friends, though…I quickly located the key to the house and let myself in as quietly as I could. As it turned out, I shouldn't have been worried. I found mom wide awake, but she hadn't noticed me yet. She was a little distracted by the random guy who was fucking her over the kitchen counter._

 _There were many ways I could have reacted, and maybe mine wasn't the best, but when she noticed me and tried to stop and explain, I decided to walk out the front door. There were no excuses for what I saw and no making up for it. Standing around and listening just would have made me more upset. Instead, I would get on my bike and return to school as though nothing had happened. I saw nothing, I knew nothing, and I would say nothing despite the 20 missed calls I received from my mother the following day. I had good reasons, in my opinion. Granted, my dad had every right to know. It would break his heart, but at least he could get out of this clearly one-sided relationship. It disgusted me to picture the way they were together, and how madly in love he still was with her, while she ran around behind his back with...Whoever that was. I didn't see his face. It was probably better that way. But my baby sister…That's all I could think about._

 _This would crush her. While I was at school, she would be living with them during the divorce. With their already high expectations of her and the amount of pressure she felt like she was under to be perfect for them…And she had a really great future ahead of her. She was smart and did so well in school. She wouldn't be stuck going to some local college like me to try and find a job she could squeak by with, she could live whatever dream she had. I felt certain that if she was trapped in the house with mom and dad, she would blame herself and she would be too isolated from outside perspectives to know that wasn't true. Once she was out of the house, I could come clean if mom didn't break things off herself, but I couldn't be the one responsible for ruining the family._

 _Keeping this secret didn't go well for me either, though. I hated myself for not being able to say anything. I headed straight to the bar that night, and many nights after, downing enough shots and drinks to get myself comfortably numb. It was a lonely time of year to be out. The town was empty if the school wasn't in session, except for the locals. I was about to order another beer when one was slid in front of me._

 _"Girl problems?" the white-blond man next to me asked. It was strange. I hadn't noticed him there before._

 _"Something like that." He nodded, seeming to somehow know exactly what I meant._

 _"I'm guessing that's your bike out there?" He switched topics. I nodded. "It's nice, but sounded like it could use some tuning. We were just about to go for a ride. Why don't you finish your drink and come along. There's some trails we just found out near Antontown I think you'd like. After that, me and the guys could show you some tricks for better performance."_

 _David and the others were exactly what I needed in my life right then. Keeping a secret from my family meant that I tended to avoid them, both because I was afraid of letting something slip but also because looking at my mother made me sick to my stomach. The guys were becoming, more or less, all I had. I hadn't been home for a holiday in ages and even my chats with Brenna were becoming short. Having the guys eased the ache a little. I still thought about my family all the time, though._

 _Six more years was too long to keep quiet. I couldn't wait until Brenna moved out. Maybe when I graduated, I could just move back to my home town and get a house? Then when I told them the truth, she would have a place to run. Or maybe when she was 16? That way she could drive out here. I snorted, picturing her the first time she would see me with the gang. She was kind of a dweeb, but I thought she'd handle it ok as long as I could get the guys to be cool, and I thought they respected me enough that it wouldn't be an issue. Man, I could only imagine what getting into college parties would have done for my reputation in high school. Unfortunately, I would never get the chance to give you that opportunity..._

* * *

With a towel wedged in the crack below the door, I didn't feel the exhaustion that usually set in when morning arrived. I would have been safe in the sunlight, having not made a kill, but it made me weak, something I couldn't tolerate any more of. I developed a nosebleed after a while which would act up every once in a while. It only came during the day time, from what I could determine. Apparently, exhaustion was more dangerous than I had thought. Maybe I would just bleed out and make this easy on everyone.

I had figured out some time ago that the whispers were the work of the boys, so this was likely just an evolution from that. I knew that this was how they planned to break me: berating me with requests at all hours of the day, working in shifts. In this case, I imagined it was my brother's doing, allowing me a glimpse into the experience that led him to the boys. It wasn't helping. The hunger, the thirst, the lack of sleep…While these needs couldn't kill me, as far as I was aware, they did make me unstable. I felt myself sliding in and out of sleep, despite willing myself against it. I needed to stay strong.

* * *

 _It didn't take much longer until I felt that she was ready. She would do anything for me if it meant keeping me in her life. Everything EXCEPT abandoning her family, it seemed. And there was one other minor detail left to take care of: her son. In order for this to be a success, Maggie would need to disappear and be presumed dead. I didn't want any prolonged missing persons reports or manhunts. Fortunately, no one knew that I was even part of her life except for one loose end: Joshua. I couldn't be certain if he saw my face or not, or if he had told anyone, but it would just be simpler to eliminate him. Then there would be no birds left to chirp about what might have happened to Maggie._

 _He happened to be attending school in Young Haven, precisely where we had made our home. So convenient. I asked David to keep an eye out for Joshua but, to my surprise, he had already met him. Michael felt prepared enough to branch off from the family and start his own coven here. Fine by us – he never quite fit in anyway. And, after meeting Joshua, they thought he would be an excellent first recruit. They were just waiting for the right time and motivation to push everything else into motion as Michael, like me, had learned the benefits of taking things slowly. When the time came, he would either accept the offer or die. Either way, my goal would be accomplished._

 _And then, as if a gift from fate herself, it happened. They were keeping an eye on Josh – he had been tense all day and they couldn't get a good read on him as to why. He was keeping something from them, and exceptionally well. Then came the phone call. It was little sister demanding a conference. Joshua obliged but was distracted – too distracted to not notice a pothole which mysteriously appeared in the road in front of him by hands too fast for his to perceive. You know what came next. After being run over by the 18 wheeler, taking his final gasps of air, they were waiting for him. It's so much easier to accept the gift of immortality when your very mortality hangs in the balance in front of your eyes, regardless of any strings attached_

 _I had to hand it to them – my boys made quick work of the situation, planting the replacement body before anyone else noticed. It didn't take long for the already strained marriage between Maggie and her husband to crumble with under the added stress of the supposed death of their son. She ran straight into my arms and never looked back. I hardly had to convince her to complete the transformation when we made it back to California._

 _The boys decided to stay in the area and actually finish out the ten years before moving back. They were absolutely fed up with moving and starting over, especially considering the last two locations didn't even last the full ten. Besides, the climate in Young Haven wasn't the worst and it was the second cloudiest area in the US making day walking an occasional and exciting possibility. The fact that it was a college town meant that people rarely stuck around long enough to notice that they weren't aging or moving on, but those who began asking questions, well…There was always an easy way of dealing with those._

 _The only concern was that Joshua would be recognized. Fortunately, the change took care of some of that. He only had to lay low for a little while before the friends he knew had graduated and moved on to greener pastures. The father killed himself within a few years, which removed him from the picture. The rest of his relations lived hours away, likely to never visit the town. But left the daughter..._

The trauma caused to her by her mother was certainly regrettable, and I couldn't help but feel partially responsible. She was truly the most innocent of the group and had the most to lose. I didn't wish any harm on her, and Joshua certainly didn't either, but I also wasn't looking for another project and this would most certainly be a touchy situation. I advised him to dose her, or to let one of his brothers do it for him. With a few drops of vampire blood in her system, should she have the misfortune to happen across any, no creature that went bump in the night would dare lay a hand on her. She would also be a little healthier, stronger, and more resistant to any sort of mind games played on her. She would remain human, but with a bit of an edge. I was personally curious to know how the call of blood would work if the dosed individual was unaware of whose blood was in them. And what fun it would be if she showed up down the line! What were the chances of that happening?

 _Ah, Brenna. If you had just made it another month and they would have been long gone. You almost made it…  
_

* * *

I had been…Dosed? That's how they did it? That's why I was drawn to them?

"Brenna?" was it another whisper, or a real voice this time? Someone pounded on my door. "Brenna? Are you in there?


	15. From the Inside - Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I only desperately wish I did.**

* * *

 _Warning: This chapter will feature depictions of violence. Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

Thanks so much to "J" and MurderIsMyPassTime for your reviews! Much love!

* * *

"Brenna?" The voice called softly at the door, again accompanied by a soft knock, jarring me out of my dazed state.

 _'Answer it…'_

My eyes glassed over a moment and I found myself suddenly at the door as though the few seconds it took to walk there never happened in the first place. I shivered. I couldn't be sure who it was, but one of the boys seemed to be more persuasive than the rest when they were in my head. Whenever that particular individual was up to bat, it felt like their suggestions coiled themselves around my mind and made it impossible to resist.

I pulled back from the handle at the last second as if it had burned me, realizing I had lost myself yet again. Shit. Who was even bothering me? Couldn't they just leave me alone like everyone else in the world? I hesitantly leaned into the door, checking the peephole. My stomach dropped: Michael. Shit, shit, shit. The last person I would want to hurt and he was standing on my doorstep, a bow practically wrapped around him. The only person I would feel guilty not opening the door for...Either the boys were behind this, or Michael was the unluckiest son of a bitch in the world. It didn't matter. I couldn't let him in, as much as I wanted to pull him inside, tell him everything and beg him to tell me a reasonable and rational explanation for what was going on or to drive me somewhere far away. There was too much to risk.

However, my body had other plans. Within seconds I found myself drifting into another fog, my head clearing just as the air of the hall hit me.

"Brenna!" Michael was in the apartment within an instant of looking at me, swinging the door swiftly shut behind him. "What's going on? You look…" His eyes darted over my face. Like what, Michael? Like death? "You don't look like yourself." Well, he was certainly smooth. Meanwhile, I was too terrified to move or speak in case I wouldn't be able to resist the urges and attack him. Instead, I wobbled back and forth, my feet not used to supporting my body weight. Michael caught me on the edge of collapse, helping me to the couch as he berated me with questions too fast for me to process. He must have realized because he stopped after a minute or two of rambling

"There's-" My voice was raspy, I realized - hardly capable of creating sound due to disuse and possibly some form of dehydration. I wasn't really sure how that worked with vampires. "There's something really, really wrong with me, Michael…You can't be here..."

"What? Like, you're sick or something?"

"It's…Something like that." I grimaced. I hated lying to him. Really, I hated lying in general. It wasn't in my nature and I wasn't very good at it. Honest to a fault.

"Brenna, I'll be fine, don't worry about me catching anything. Have you seen a doctor?" I let out an involuntary snort at his question. It probably seemed rude to him. Good. Whatever would make him leave faster.

"I don't think the doctor could do much for me." My tone was bitter.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's happening." He sat, cross armed, and it felt like he was staring into the depths of my soul. "Don't be stubborn, Brenna."

"Look, I would love to explain, but I can't." I tried to make my voice firm, but it kept cracking. "I can't put you in danger too. You've been so sweet to me…" I could feel tears beginning to spring up. "And I would end up getting you killed."

"Why is that? It can't be that bad!"

"You would think that I was insane." I broke eye contact, unable to keep it up, and instead focused on Michael's Converses.

"I'm sure I've heard worse." It sounded like he was smiling, but I refused to look. "Come on. Talk to me. Your secret is safe. Cross my heart." He traced an x over his chest.

"The Dart brothers were right." The words tumbled out before I could pull them back in. He was silent a while. There was no use in trying to explain any further, so I stayed quiet as well.

"Have you been sleeping well?" He didn't believe me. I couldn't say I blamed him. "What can I do to help? Maybe some fresh air?"

"NO." I snapped my head back up to look at him. "I can't leave. They'll find me." I nervously glanced at the window. It was night - they were certain to be outside.

"Who?" He reached out to take my hand, startling me. As my head whipped around, his head tilted, and I couldn't help but notice his earring jingling a little as he did so. I had almost forgotten that I noticed he had one. In his left ear. That seemed familiar. Who else did I know with...

My eyes widened as the connections were made within my brain. Slowly, I attempted to pull my hand back, fighting to keep emotion out of my face. He had his left ear pierced _like the boys did_. He rode a bike. I was beginning to realize that, despite my concerns, he didn't make me feel hungry like someone else might. I had never seen him in the daylight, either, had I? I had to have seen him in the daylight...I swore...Michael's worried expression morphed into something malicious in the blink of an eye and he gripped my hand tighter, just enough to prevent me from getting my hand back.

"Brenna, don't pull away now. We were becoming such good friends..."

"You fucker." I growled, nostrils flaring. "You know _exactly_ what's going on. You were one of _them_ from the start!"

"Hardly." He scoffed at my accusation, dropping my hand as though I had done him some great offense. "We might share blood, but that's about all we have in common. I came here to start fresh and break away from their stupid cult. _You're_ the one who moved right across the hall from me. I was just trying to blend in as the good neighbor, introducing myself and saying hey from time to time. And then I realized what you were tangled up in and I knew it was only a matter of time before I heard from _David_ again." He spat the blonde's name out like it was something foul. "And suddenly I'm your babysitter, making sure you don't go poking your nose where you shouldn't before the right time. I mean, why did you think I was _really_ asking for sugar all the time? That didn't seem a little weird to you?" He let out a frustrated sigh, dipping his head, leaning on his knees, and chewing on his lip. He finally looked over at me, seemingly with new eyes.

"You know, we're not so different, Brenna. That's probably the most difficult part for me - watching someone else living it out."

"You resisted?" I was admittedly intrigued, albeit pessimistic, as I sunk into the couch with my arms staunchly crossed.

"About twenty years ago I lived in a town called Santa Carla. I fell in love with a girl who ran with the wrong crowd, you can guess who, and was sucked in right with her. When I realized what they had done to me, I was furious too. I went back to their cave and smashed their little bottle of blood on the ground." So that was how they had done it…David's "special reserve." Jay had told me it was poison. I guess he wasn't too far off. "I was determined to hold out. My little brother, Sammy, had made some friends. They said that they just needed to kill the head vampire and then and Star and I and even Laddie, a kid they had abducted, could be normal again. Except…It didn't work out." His eyes flashed red for a moment.

"What happened?" A began to sit forward in my seat. Michael was silent, glaring off at the distant memory I couldn't see. "Michael…What happened to Sammy?" I persisted.

"His friends had no idea what they were doing. One was killed, the other decided to take their revenge on Star. She was completely innocent, had never killed anyone, and he murdered her in cold blood for what she had become. When she died...My humanity, or what was left of it, died with her. It wasn't that I couldn't hold back anymore, I just didn't want to. And once that human blood touched my lips for the first time," he paused, eyes closed, a smile beginning to grow on his face. "Everything changed." His eyes opened once more, distant this time. "It was like flipping a switch and my conscience...It just disconnected. I still remember caring about so much going into that cave – what would happen to Sammy and my mom - but by the time I left, I could have easily never thought about them ever again...Until we had to clean up loose ends." I swallowed hard, not sure I wanted to hear how this story ended. "It turned out that things were more…Complicated…Than any of us realized. Sammy had made a scene at a video store and told my mom everything. When the sun set and we got to the house, he was already waiting for us. David was prepared to handle things calmly and offer them a choice, but they had already made their decision. They called for an attack on us." He snorted. "It was remarkable how incompetent the Santa Carla police department was. For them to kick in the door and shoot the wrong people..." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, shaking his head before refocusing a piercing gaze on me.

"But tonight's not about the dead, Brenna. It's about you and your decision because now your time has come as well…" He leaned in, smirking, and I squirmed beneath his gaze. "Except, I don't think you realize that it really isn't a choice at this point. It's just a question of how long you can hold out for. It won't be long. Parts of you are already caving. Deep down, I think you want this, Brenna."

"No, I don't." I stood, hands on my hips. I tried to keep up a convincing act although every hair on my body stood on end.

"You sure?" Michael narrowed his eyes at me, standing as well. "Then why have you gone along with everything you've been told to do?"

"It's-it's not me!" I stuttered. "They're tricks! They've been _making_ me do things…" Michael was shaking his head slowly and in a patronizing way as he circled me like a shark. "Don't lie! I know about vampire majick!" I blurted out.

"Vampire majick?" He repeated in disbelief. "Where did you even get that from?" A bemused smile appeared as he realized what had happened and decided to make an accusation. "You were reading the Darts' website, weren't you? You know, I tried distracting you from their bullshit. I even tried to scare you off by influencing your electronics." I was so ashamed that I couldn't bring myself to look at him. "Nice try, but no, it doesn't work like that. We can't _make_ you do things you don't want to do. But, we _can_ trick humans into believing we control them. And once they believe we're pulling their strings, _we own them_." He made sure to annunciate each word for effect.

"But that was never the case with you, Brenna." He proceeded. "With your mind, it was never going to be that easy." I shivered. "We only planted the thoughts. The rest was up to _you_."

"Right. Sure." I snapped. "But you guys got around that by dosing me from the start, didn't you?" My head swiveled to maintain eye contact.

"Are you _sure_ that's what happened?" I suddenly wasn't. Not at all.

The tenseness of the moment was suddenly interrupted by a pounding at the door.

"Open up, Brenna!" I recognized Jack's voice.

* * *

 **The Lovers - Nine Inch Nails**

* * *

"Fuck…" I ran a hand through my hair, pushing myself further into the wall. "Not now…" Michael's expression began to soften and he closed the gap between the two of us quickly when it became clear he wouldn't have time to finish his game out with me. Gently, he took hold of my shoulders.

"I didn't want it to be like this for you. The others...When they embraced this lifestyle, it was on their own terms - for survival, for the lifestyle, for whatever other reasons. They don't understand what you are going through now and they never will because they were given a _choice_. Because I was tricked, my transformation was rooted in terror and pain, and I didn't want anyone going through that again. I wanted to introduce you to our world slowly. Show you the wonder of it all before giving you the choice. To make your change something beautiful instead of something traumatizing.

"We know you're in there!" The Dart brother hammered at the door again. Michael growled.

"Unfortunately, it looks like you're getting thrown into the fire. You better go deal with them before they kick the door in."

"I need my knife back!" It sounded like Jack gave the entrance a solid kick. The knife! That's all he wanted? I sighed in relief and hurried to pick the blade up off the counter. I would just open the door a crack and hand it back to him. Then I could deal with Michael and lock myself in the bathroom again for the rest of eternity. It sounded simple, but even this short exchange would be risky. What they could do to me, or what I could do to them, wasn't something I wanted to think about.

 _I can hear your breathing._

I put my plan in motion: open the door, slide the knife out, and attempt to slam it back shut before they get a chance to look at me. However, as I pushed on the handle, the door stopped too soon, preventing it from latching. Something was stuck in it: a familiar boot wedged between the wood and the frame.

"Hey, what gives?" Theo demanded, now working with Jack to shove the door open. "You haven't come out in days. What's going on?"

"It's nothing!" I insisted, shoving back in earnest. "I'm not feeling great!"

"Bullshit" Jack grumbled. "You sound just fine. Brenna, let us in!"

' _Open the door…'_ My feet began to slip and I lost some leverage. The door was opening. _'Get it over with…'_

 _And I'm free  
_ _To return to the place where I already am  
_ _And have always been  
If I just really looked and allowed myself  
To see_

I didn't have the strength to hold them back anymore and the door opened with a bang against the opposite wall as my hands fell away. I realized then just how fortunate I was that Jordan and Colette had not been in the apartment this week, because the moment the brothers were in the apartment, I could hear their heartbeats like they were pressed against my ears. I could taste the blood from where I stood and the scent alone was overwhelming. My mouth watered and my own heart pounded away in my head, drowning all other sounds out. Everything became muffled in a familiar way, exactly as it had a few days ago when I collapsed, which I suddenly had very vivid memories of - feeling possessed and being pinned by Michael and Jay. They had prevented me from going after the Darts then, hadn't they? But why? Wouldn't that be exactly what they wanted? Or were they afraid I would get hurt like Josh had?

 _Coliseum calling with its night that could last forever_  
 _Breathing moments_  
 _The confusing is seducing me warm perfect flowing_  
 _Wide his eyes_  
 _Summer_

"You need to leave," I commanded. My heart had stalled out, stopped cold, the ache radiating from my chest out to the tips of my fingers and toes and I was finding it difficult to focus on maintaining self-control. "Right now." I pushed. My hands shook at my sides where I balled them into fists. If I didn't keep them occupied, I was afraid I might find them coiling around the enticingly soft flesh of one of their necks.

 _Hypnotize they see inside of me_  
 _Hot swollen skin want_ _me_ _take me perfect embrace_  
 _Black and bloody_  
 _Rotten and perfect_

' _Just a taste…'_

I licked my lips, watching Theo's pulse twitch in his neck, taunting me with how close to the surface that artery was.

"NOW!" I yelled, punching the counter and sending them scurrying backward. I kicked the door shut and leaned back against it trying to catch my breath, struggling to regain control over myself. I felt pin pricks dancing up and down my arms, as though a thousand squirming insects had been dumped over me.

"You can't hold it back forever, Brenna…" Michael tempted me from the other side of the room, leaning in a doorway, arms crossed in a languid manner. He was right. I needed…And the exact thing I needed stood right outside the door, waiting for me to take it. Resisting was even harder compared to the first time now that I knew exactly what would make the nightmare stop. Worse, the brothers weren't budging an inch. If they would just walk away, I stood a fighting chance. Damn it, JUST WALK AWAY. But I could tell they were still there and it was causing me physical agony.

I clawed at myself trying to extract the pins and needles from under my skin. The imaginary blade from before had also returned, fully lodged in my stomach once more. Straight razors ran up and down the lining of my throat and I began to pull at my hair, convinced I would come away with tufts of it between my fingers. I could handle the pain if it allowed me to retain my humanity.

"This can't be me…" I moaned, reality finally crashing down. Eventually, this need was going to get much worse. If I didn't crack now, it was a matter of when and not if. The brothers pounded on the door a little more before seemingly giving up and I heard footsteps moving away from the door. I thought that would be the end of it. I thought I could finally catch my breath.

 _The center has moved on and all that's left is free_  
 _Finally_  
 _Finally  
_

"Finally…" I whimpered.

"Oh, no," Michael dashed my hopes. "They knew." He reached forward to wipe something away from beneath my left eye before displaying it to me: blood. He licked it clean, savoring it, before going on to explain. "You have the bleeds. You've been awake for far too long."

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that they would return to kick the door in. The apartment entrance flew open seconds later to reveal the brothers brandishing stakes. I skidded to the floor from the impact, writhing in pain.

"I knew it!" Jack roared. "I told you those guys were trouble! And now you're one of them!"

"Spare me the lecture." The voice that came out of me was hardly my own. I ignored Michael's hand and picked myself up off the floor into a rather catlike crouch, a scowl overtaking my face. I could almost hear David's voice alongside mine as I spoke, even though I was certain he wasn't there. Michael stood at my side, arms folded and a smug smirk on his face. I felt my eyes becoming far away again. "I gave you the chance to run."

 _Oh I see you floating there_  
 _How could I ever hope to forget_  
 _Always rearranging_  
 _These words are a lie a mirror reflecting in a mirror of a lie_  
 _A light shines still always_  
 _Shadows in every word_  
 _Beneath black eaves_  
 _Please don't leave me here_  
 _I could stop it_  
 _Maybe I could stop it if I wanted to_  
 _But I'm not the one driving anymore  
I know who I am  
But I know who I am  
Right?  
Into the arms of the lovers  
You can take me  
Take me  
Take all that's left  
I am free  
Finally  
Combined and perfect  
Finally_

I have no recollection of what happened and never would, but when I woke from my blackout, there were two very dead Darts in front of me. Overtop of them crouched a satisfied looking Marko and Michael. Feasting. That was the only word I had to describe their actions. The vampires' eyes burned bright like fire, their faces morphed into something sleek and animalistic, but surprisingly clean of blood. I, on the other hand, found myself covered in a sticky red substance when I raised my trembling hands. David stood in front of me, a damp cloth in hand, calmly rubbing away at the redness covering my exposed skin and squeegeeing it into the sink. He had an ulterior motive as well, I noticed: keeping my hands away from my mouth, preventing me from ingesting any blood. Up to this point, I was putting up a good fight to yank them away from him. The need was beginning to build up in my chest, but now that I was aware, I was fighting it off once more.

"It was a nice touch, ripping Theo's head off," David smirked as I watched Michael snap a few of the tendons in Jack's neck before sinking his teeth in for more. "I hadn't even suggested that part…" Marko's laugh was sadistic as he dangled the lifeless decapitated head of Theo above himself, holding his mouth open to enjoy the blood still straining from the detached veins.

"Pretty sick, Brenna!" He used a falsetto voice as he puppeteered the jaw of the dead Dart brother. I couldn't rip myself away from the Dart brother's cold, blank eyes, a look of terror frozen on his face. I gagged, not entirely certain if I had imagined it blinking or not. "You're gonna fit right in!"

Just about everything in the kitchen at this point was smeared with blood, a bright contrast against all the neutrals. I wondered how we, no, _they_ were going to clean this up to avoid suspicion, because I sure as hell wasn't touching this mess. Maybe they didn't care.

"I don't understand, Brenna," David ran a fresh cloth down the side of my face and maneuvered himself behind me, his mouth moving ever closer to my ear. "You seem to be having a hard time coming to terms with what you've done, but…I thought you said once it was kind of fun to be the villain? Right? Isn't that what you told me in your dream?" I felt him rake his fangs across my neck and I knew instantly what he was talking about - my nightmare from the night I met Marko. The unending hallways. The carousel. The girl…It had been more than a fantasy. It was David who I had chased out of my mind. My eyes fluttered a little and my stomach did a small flip. This wasn't the right reaction, damn it! "It was strange to me when you enjoyed it then, as well…"

"Get out of my head!" I growled, lurching toward the door, but he was faster.

"No, no, no," David purred, pulling both my arms behind my back and holding me firmly in place. "You're not leaving. Not yet. Not until they're through…"

"I don't get it," I hissed. "You aren't just going to force me to eat them?" David chuckled lowly.

"We have a special meal being prepared for you right now, and I would hate to spoil your appetite..."

He held me there, staring at the viscera and gore. If my eyes shut, he was more than happy to force me into opening them until Marko and Michael had drained every last drop of life from the Darts.

"You know, I seem to also recall a wish you made on your birthday." David spun me around once they began to drag the corpses away. "You asked that this would never end. And, all along, Joshua _himself_ had granted your wish. We were all intrigued, but he was the one who challenged you to the bet in beer pong. It was his way of repaying you for saving his life. His early birthday present…You were more correct than you realized, I think. No matter the outcome, you would have been drinking from that same wine bottle by the end of the night." I fell on the couch, cradling my head in my hands, staring ahead at nothingness. I had stopped processing and gone back into shock. Josh's words kept ringing in my head from not so long ago. This is what he was referring to. These were the questions he said I would eventually be asking about. This is the fate worse than death he was trying to keep me safe from.

"Come on, Brenna," David squatted in front of me to fall into my line of sight, offering a hand. "It's time. Let's make this final." Despite holding it back, I could feel my hand twitching of its own accord, wanting to find his. Was I still so desperate to be accepted, or was this a side effect of the vampire blood? I gave a sniff and realized my nose had started to bleed again. In a flash, David had wiped it away, his face filled with concern.

"How long have you been bleeding for? he demanded. "Have you been sleeping at all?" I shook my head weakly. The worry on David's face was quickly replaced with anger. "You're playing with fire, Brenna. You should have given up days ago. Fuck, Star died a week in and that was too far. And you..."

"It's your fault I haven't slept." My voice was raspy, but I still managed to muster up a little sass. His eyes took on a layer of frost I hadn't seen before.

"You're going to push yourself to the brink of insanity, and when you do, you are going to create a very large mess when your body decides it _needs_ to feed." He pushed himself up off the floor, fixing his coat and composing himself. "A very large mess that _I_ will need to clean up." His tone was deadly calm. "Although, it could be fun watching you mop up the remains of all your classmates." A smile began to slide across his face. "You hadn't even thought about that, have you? That this isn't just a game of mind over matter anymore? No. You can either accept what happened to you and do what must be done, or you find out what you're really capable of." I continued to stare at him, processing the new information. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say, but he seemed to take my lack of response as a response in and of itself. "I'll be waiting." He finished, turning to leave.

* * *

 **Giving In - Adema**

* * *

"You're giving me a choice. Why aren't you dragging me out?" I decided to ask. He turned fully toward me again.

"That's not how this works." David's said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We only give you the options. _You're_ the one that has to decide to go through with it. You have to come to us by choice and know that it was your own decision. _You_ have to live with your consequences." And with that, he was gone.

I was left with Michael and Marko who had finished locking the bodies in the unused spare room. Marko eventually caught sight of my appearance and dropped what he was doing to sit beside me, pulling some of the soiled hair out of my face with a sigh.

"Brenna?" he tried to steal my attention, but my eyes didn't want to focus on any one thing. "Hey, it's time to go."

"You were one of the only ones I trusted." My voice was stuck in a monotone. Marko frowned, an expression that looked unnatural on him. "The way you looked after me…You were becoming like brothers..."

"None of that has to change!" He draped an arm over my shoulders and it took everything to prevent myself from flinching away, flashes of the monster that lay within him playing across my mind's eye. If he noticed, he didn't say anything. "We _can_ be your brothers now!"

"Brenna, no offense but…What do you really have left here?" Michael was on my other side now. "You've been looking for a way out. We've all heard you."

"You think _very_ loudly when you're upset." Marko tapped on my forehead. Another suspicion confirmed. All those times I thought they had read my mind…It was probably because they had.

"You're monsters…" My gaze was still stuck somewhere far off, but I still caught the look Michael and Marko exchanged out of the corner of my eye. "And now, I'm…"

"You're right." Michael finally conceded as Marko pulled his arm back, about to return to cleaning duty. "We are. So, now that we cleared that up…Now what?

"I don't..." My voice was coming out as a whimper now. The edges of my vision were becoming hazy, and the room was beginning to pulse lightly. It felt like the world was beginning to tilt, causing me to lean severely into Marko, suddenly the only thing holding me up. "I think something's wrong…"

"Look at me, Brenna" Marko pulled my face toward him until I was staring directly into his eyes. "You're slipping." Urgency was clear in his tone. Michael immediately pulled me into his arms.

"What does that mean?" He was attempting to lift me, but I fussed until I was allowed to stand on my own, even if it was with assistance from both boys. "What happens then?"

"It's just like David said. You're killing yourself, and when self-preservation kicks in, all you'll care about is feeding." I felt them moving me down the singular flight of apartment stairs, my feet struggling to keep up, but everything was beginning to slip in and out of a black, terrifying haze. That darkness felt utterly evil when it wrapped me in it. Pure, animalistic, primal possessiveness, rage, and power. "All that will be left are instincts until you get what you need, and then you'll keep going until you run out of humans. On a college campus…" He let me connect the dots. "Not only will it be a PR nightmare for us, but if you let yourself go there, you don't always come back. You might think we're monsters, but that's how the real monsters are created."

"Come on, Brenna." Michael squeezed my arm lightly, trying to bring me back. I was losing the battle with my hunger, each pang driving that darkness further into my soul. Part of me wanted to give into the monster within so I and whatever made me Brenna wouldn't be responsible for what came next. They were right. It was inevitable. "Stay with us." With one arm slung around each member of the pair, they pushed the front door open, holding me steady.

"Y-you said you had a different plan." I directed to Michael. "How were you going to do it?"

"I was going to show you the side of our lives others don't get to see," He whispered as my vision swam in and out of inkiness. "I was going to take you out for a night on the town so you could see first-hand what it felt like for an entire town to bow to your whim; to take you dancing through the stars and showing you how to fly...There's no more rules, no more fear, you could even have a family again..."

"You make it sound so...Romantic, the way you talk about it..."

"You just have to take one step, and it's all yours," Marko promised. "We'll take care of the rest and it will all be easy. Just one little step and all the pain goes away." My eyes were sliding shut.

I didn't want to do it. With every fiber of my being, I wanted to hold out longer. I had too much pride to just give in here, but there was so much working against me. Everything spun endlessly and I couldn't determine which way was up. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and everything felt like it was on fire. I just wanted something to be easy. I wanted friends. I craved acceptance. It was all right there, waiting. And then there were the whispered urgings and the pull…And I could almost see myself with them, flying about the city, twirling through the air…And my left foot was over the line, and it suddenly seemed so much easier to take the last step…

The second even a toe had crossed the line, I was being lifted and rushed to the bikes, and toward a smirking David. Marko and Michael sat me at his feet, my head bowed in shame and the implications of my actions weighed heavily on my shoulders. David bent to my level when I wouldn't meet his gaze. I shook violently. What had I just done? I should have just let the Darts end me.

"You win, David." I couldn't look at him.

"Brenna, Brenna, Brenna…" He turned to accept something from Michael. "We're all winners here. You included. You'll see…" He squatted to hand a garment to me, jerking my chin up so I had to make eye contact with him. "Now, put on your coat." I timidly slid it on. A few days ago, I considered wearing this a badge of honor, and now it was a symbol of my total defeat.

"Very good!" He affirmed sarcastically. It felt like the world once again shifted sharply beneath me and I very nearly collapsed again, except that he grabbed me, cradling me against his chest. "Oh, no you don't..." His voice was a strange mixture of annoyance and...Something else. My attentions too focused on what he did next: David brought his wrist up to his mouth, biting down with such ferocity that I thought he might have snapped his hand clean off before I saw evidence suggesting otherwise. "You already have our blood in your veins. This will help keep the beast at bay a while longer."

"Wha-" I didn't have time to complete the question. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as the first drops of his blood hit my tongue. I didn't have the energy to resist and latched on, sucking greedily.

"Atta girl," I heard him praise as he stroked my hair, soothing me.

Eventually, David had to pry my fingers off of his arm to take it back and I had to fight with myself to resist embarrassing myself any further by begging for more. The sound that came out of him as he surveyed me was a mixture between a hum and a purr as I attempted to wipe my face clean.  
"I gotta say – that look really suits you."

"So," I tried to start the conversation again while he seemed to be in a talkative mood. "Who did you kill for this?" I raised my arms, looking down at my leather jacket, wincing a little. I had some strength back, but my stomach was still cramping due to emptiness.

"Some girl." He shrugged. Marko promptly pulled out two smokes, placing one in his mouth and offering the other to me. David retrieved one of his own to light as well.

"Here," Marko gestured the cigarette at me. "It's gonna help with the hunger pains." I didn't trust him, but I palmed the cigarette anyway.

"Fuck it." I grumbled. "Not like I have any risk of cancer at this point." I held the tobacco to my lips for Marko to light and took my first hit, hoping this would help me feel better about anything that I had just seen or heard.

Admittedly, by the end of the cigarette and after some much needed quiet, I had found a sort of acceptance about what had gone down. I wasn't remotely ok with the turn my life took, but I had accepted that there was nothing I could do to change the situation I was in at the moment. I saw what they did to Theo and Jack. They wouldn't treat me any differently if I threatened to expose them. Also, Marko wasn't lying: through the nicotine, the hunger was kept at bay and the shakes subsided into small tremors. Without the nagging thirst, I was able to think a lot more clearly.

The clock tower on campus read half past 8. The night was still very young and I wondered where the other boys were for all the excitement as I tossed my cigarette butt into the parking lot. I had a feeling I would be finding out soon.

"Now, be a good girl, and get on the bike, Brenna. Before someone sees what a mess you've made." I was only capable of staring at him. "Come on, Brenna. Before I _make_ you do it." He seemed to be saying this sarcastically, but just in case...I rose on shaky legs, sliding onto David's bike and he smiled back at me, beginning to laugh. "You're in for a night, kid."


	16. A Note from the Author

And here it is – the final chapter. If you made it this far, then seriously, thank you so much. I started writing this Fanfiction about a year and a half ago and in the time since I started it, it went through five full revisions in order to cram in everything I wanted to in there and to get it to a place where I felt comfortable sharing. And then, even after typing it all up, I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to post it online because of how different it is from the typical fan fiction, which was kind of the point if I'm being honest. I've lurked in the community for years reading other authors' stories and always found myself getting really frustrated about characters not acting like themselves. A lot of times I would be really into a story but would have to put it down because I found myself angry about the vampires not acting like terrifying vampire monsters would or the vampire aspect almost being dropped entirely in order to pursue a romance. I know a lot of people probably anticipated or wanted my story to end that way (and in my defense there are some hidden clues about what likely happened after!) but that was never really how I envisioned this story and I wasn't going to force romance in, even if that meant my fic would be less popular.

So anyway, that's all she wrote! I don't really have any plans for a sequel unless there's some huge outcry for one or something. And if you are interested in a sequel, I'd really like to know what you would want to be covered in it.

In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions that have been nagging at you which you feel like I didn't answer and I'll try to post my responses in an update chapter after my vacation to Japan that I'm leaving for in just a few hours (wooo!) Other than that, there's a ton of tricky little secret Easter Egg type things I wedged in throughout the story that haven't been pointed out to me yet, so let me know if you come across any!

And again, thank you so much for sticking with me! Whether you've been a consistent reviewer or just left a comment once, or even if you're lurking out there like I tend to do, it really touched me that anyone would be willing to read things I imagined up. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart!


	17. Homecoming

We pulled away from the apartment in an unfamiliar direction, and if it wasn't for David's grip on me, I was positive that I would have tumbled off the bike. The cigarette might have calmed the thirst temporarily, but it also enhanced my exhaustion. I was ready to drop dead.

"Hold on, Brenna…" David's request was soft, almost brotherly, as he tried to wrap my arms more tightly around him to keep me safe. In some sick way, I suppose he did care, but I could hardly hold myself upright even if I were trying. I still held some hope that I would tumble off the bike and be crushed beneath the wheels. Unfortunately, that probably wouldn't even do much damage.

Night had fallen fully by now, bathing the town in darkness and smothering it with a thick fog. I removed my face from where I buried it within David's coat to shield it from the wind as we rolled to a stop. I recognized the location immediately and snorted at the irony, but it somehow seemed fitting that I would return to where I began my life in Young Haven to see it come to an end. We were at my spot - the pavilion. I wondered if they knew about this place before they met me or if it was another tidbit of my life they had eavesdropped on.

When David dismounted, with nothing left to support me and no physical strength left in my body, I took a nosedive toward the pavement. David was there in the literal blink of an eye, though, to catch me. He swung one of my arms around his shoulder and I noticed Michael, on the other side of me, was mirroring the action. Together they helped me to walk toward the railing so I would have something to lean on. Michael and Marko quickly vanished, likely to do a sweep for security. David, however, stuck by my side.

With how difficult it was to support the weight of my own head, I found myself staring at my reflection in the water of the river below. In many ways, I was the same lost girl who had stood here three months ago. I was broken, defeated, lonely, confused, scared…And in that moment I felt everything I did the day I moved to Young Haven, just much more intensely and for different reasons. It had never been so painfully clear just how trivial the troubles that consumed my life were or how easy it might have been to turn things around and lead a different path. But there I was, as ready as I ever would be to meet my maker.

"Did you know you were dead from the moment you arrived here?" If there had been anyone else with us, I wouldn't have been certain that David was speaking to me. "I'm sure you thought it was the night you met Marko, but really, the decision was made at this spot." He reached down to take my bare hand in his gloved one, studying my bracelet for a moment, almost thoughtfully. I had worn it so often that I hardly even noticed it anymore, but he was calling attention to the bracelet I had found almost in the exact spot where he was standing. Abruptly, David grabbed the piece of jewelry and yanked, snapping it off of my wrist. I jumped, not expecting the sudden violence.

"It's a strange little decoration," he continued, holding it before his eyes and letting my hand drop away like a spent cigarette. The seven beads, three black, and four white glimmered in the moonlight. "Do you know your birds, Brenna?" I shook my head. "Then allow me to educate you. This charm isn't just any animal, it's a magpie. People used to consider them to be omens of things to come."

"One for sorrow," he began counting all of the beads. "Two for mirth, three for a funeral, and four for birth. Five for heaven, six for hell, seven for the devil, his own self." He chuckled to himself darkly, staring off across the river again, rubbing the avian charm between his index finger and thumb as I had so many times before. "For the previous owner, this was a bad omen. It was the same old song and dance at the bars downtown and then we ventured back here like we typically do." I started to see what he was getting at. "You know, we don't _always_ burn our victims, Brenna. It draws too much attention. Most of the missing people of this town end up right here." He shifted his gazed down into the water and I shuddered, ripping my eyes away from the waves below. I was reminded again of my first day there when I thought I might have seen my brother's ghostly face over my shoulder. I had an awful feeling that I had seen something – well, _someone_ – very different. "After we make a kill, we bring them here and dump them into the river. It's poetic, but its main draw is that it's a nice, quiet, secluded spot where we can clean up after ourselves. We take money, trinkets, and whatever else we like and send the rest downstream. Just like the girl whose coat you're wearing. Just like the woman whose bracelet you found."

"This being your favorite spot, we would have met you here eventually. You would have seen too much and one of us would have taken care of the problem. Fortunately for you, Marko ran into you first. Even luckier, you decided to wear this very bracelet. So when he found you smelling like the kill he made just a few months before that. He was confused and intrigued, and you were marked from that day forward." His eyes began to bore into mine. "For a brief minute, you were next on the list after he finished that boy off. We even had it all planned out. We would invite you to the Halloween party, convince you to leave with us, then, poof…No more Brenna Wald. Maybe you thought you wooed us that night, or that you were just so damn clever and charming, but we meet girls like you all the time. We _kill_ girls like you all the time."

"But, then you came with surprises and, frankly, a lot more luck or maybe even fate. I entered your dream that first night, feeling things out. It was just harmless fun. I was honestly sitting in the cave bored and decided to try it out with you on a whim, maybe figure out how you found the bracelet. And then you turned the tables on _me_. Only a few people had ever managed that before. You forced me out proving that you had a strong mind. So, you stayed alive as something to entertain us and bought yourself a few extra days as a fun plaything. Then in the little fun house with Marko and Paul, you moved _just like us,_ although I'm sure you didn't know it. It was intriguing. We wondered if you might make a good fit, but we weren't sold. And we don't offer this gift to just anyone."

"And then, like it was goddamn fate herself, those amateur hunters got a hold of Jay. And what did you decide to do? You put yourself at risk for him. You let him into your home and took care of him. Not only that, but you defended us to the Darts. We were the very people who killed and ate your little friend. What was her name again? Miriam? I guess it doesn't matter now. The important thing is that, after your intervention, we knew we _had_ to have you. Jay was the first one to bring it up, in fact. And then when Jay recognized you? Oh, that only sweetened the deal. _Actual_ siblings. That bottle hadn't even touched your lips and yet you were already damned." I could hear the rumble of motorcycles in the distance, drawing nearer, and my palms began to sweat. "In hindsight, you might want to go easy on yourself. Your familial bond with your brother seemed to pull you toward us like a moth to a flame."

"So I wasn't dosed?" I finally felt brave enough to talk.

"Dosed?" David barked out a laugh. "I take it Max paid you a visit. No. Your resistance to our tricks was natural, and very impressive. Although Max advised Josh to dose you, he refused. Not that it mattered in the end. His very blood called out to you and not even he was aware of it. Not until he had to pin you down to keep you from having a very awkward encounter with the Dart brothers. You see, one blood bond makes it easier to influence the human in you, but now that you two share an additional bond through our maker…I can only whisper suggestions and ideas, waiting to see what, if anything, takes hold. Josh can _make_ you do _anything."_ He left me in silence for a moment, pondering over the implications of that word. _Anything…_

"One for sorrow, two for joy," David counted the beads again to break up the silence. "Three for a girl, four for a boy. Five for silver, six for gold. Seven for a secret never to be told." He stared at the bracelet a second longer before tossing it into the river, sure to be rid of it this time. "And what a secret this is…So, tell me, Brenna: what kind of omen is that bracelet going to be for you? Are you going to finish this out the easy way, or the hard way?" He paused as though expecting an answer, but quickly lunged toward me as he allowed the demon beneath his handsome face to shine through. I was too tired to flinch. "Initiation's over. Time to join the club."

It was a picturesque scene as Dwayne, Paul, and Joshua pulled in. The bells of the clock tower tolled 9 off in the distance as Paul and Dwayne each pulled a limp female frame off the bike behind them. If I hadn't already been leaning on the railing, I was positive I would have collapsed then as they led over Jordan and Colette, doll-like and vacant.

"Were you wondering why these two hadn't been around, lately?" David smiled at me. He knew the truth. I was so consumed with my own issues that I hadn't even been thinking about them

"No…" My composure was disintegrating. "Not them…" They didn't seem to be aware of anything going on, but I could feel other instincts beginning to awaken within me all over again.

"But it had to be them, Brenna," David stated, his smile growing ever larger. "If you _can_ kill them, you _will_ kill anyone."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I bowed my head, attempting to look anywhere aside from the delectable necks of the two girls in front of me.

"They are the last loose ends. The last people who had seen you with us. Jay and Dwayne took care of another issue tonight already."

"William and Philip said hello," Dwayne confirmed, and I noticed that his lips had a redder tint than they might have before as they curled up into a cruel smile. I felt a little more of me break away and die.

"And what about Miriam? Was that why she had to die?"

"Actually," Paul chimed in stepping forward. "She would have been safe for a little while longer. But remember that bet you made? While we were stuck in the mirror maze, the lights came on and she noticed we were missing reflections. She kind of lost it. And anyway, wasn't it you who said the last person out owed the rest dinner?" Paul looked absolutely feral. "I'm real sorry we didn't share, Brenna..."

"These two are the last things tying you to your old life." David pulled my attention back to him. "And, I believe you picked the best phrase: only once we've lost everything are we free to do anything." He was talking about my tattoo which I now wanted to rip straight off of my ankle. "Now you know what we are. Now you know what you are. You'll never grow old, Brenna, and you'll never die…But you _must_ feed."

The fight was leaving me quickly as I stared around at the boys surrounding me.

* * *

 **Pink Maggit – The Deftones  
**

* * *

 _"I'll stick you a little…_

 _Enough,  
_ _To take your oxygen away…_

Dwayne was always stoic, but even Marko and Paul looked serious now. And both Joshua and Michael, my protectors, watched without any sympathy. David glowered down at me from over my shoulder.

"Please…" I begged anyone willing to listen, the first tears spilling onto my cheeks, my eyes landing on my brother.

 _Set you on fire,  
_ _'Cause I'm on fire  
_ _And I'm with you,  
_ _Alone…_

"Josh, I don't think…I can't…" His gaze hardened and I attempted to swallow the knot of nerves in my throat. The darkness was closing in again. I could just let it take me. I wouldn't have to be responsible for any of this.

"How many people do you think he's listened to beg like that?" Dwayne stood beside his brothers. "It's not going to do you any good."

"Brenna…" Josh growled. "It's time. You made your choice back at the apartment. Don't make this harder than it needs to be." When it was clear I wasn't moving on my own, I felt myself being pushed by a light pressure at the base of my neck toward the two statue-like humans until I was eventually nose to nose with Jordan on the ground. The nearness began to overwhelm me. He would keep making it hard on me, I realized, if I didn't comply. He would kill me, in a way, like I had killed him. What symmetry. "Just make this easy on everyone and come home."

 _Be afraid  
_ _I might lose her, so forget about me…_

"Home?" My bottom lip quivered. I had to admit that it sounded appealing. I hadn't had a home, a real home, in so many years... "And how do I know this isn't just another lie?"

"Brenna, we never once lied to you." David now squatted beside me. "You just didn't want to listen to what we were really saying."

"I'm so sorry…" I whispered to my blonde friend who was both there and not there. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…This isn't me. I don't want this to be me…" I shook like a leaf under the burden of restraint, tears flowing freely. I was terrified, not only of the change but also of what Michael and David had hinted at before – that I would completely lose my conscience. That I would lose an integral part of who I was.

'I am Brenna Wald' I reminded myself. If I couldn't hold out against the thirst, maybe I could hold onto some of my humanity. I didn't want to forget what they had made me do. 'I'm still Brenna Wald.' What they were forcing me to become. 'I'm still here.' It became a mantra within my head. I would break away from the boys and find another way when this was all over. I wasn't a killer.

"I'm sorry for everything. You deserved better than this. You deserved…" What was intended as a sniffle sent my eyes rolling back into my head, and I felt that I had crossed a line for the second time this night.

 _Because I'll stick you…_

I could feel the fangs extending through my gums and I held as still as I could for as long as I could, but the compulsion was much stronger than me now. The darkness was dancing on the corners of my vision again.

'My name is Brenna Wald…My name is Brenna Wald…'

I hovered there, just on the edge, but I needed it so badly…The world around me faded until nothing existed but my hunger and her strong, healthy heartbeat.

 _'Do it, Bren…'_

It was the little push that I needed to force the daggers in my mouth through the flesh of her tender neck, digging in painfully, I was certain, and sending the life blood gushing down my throat, thick and rich. The more I had, the more that I needed like I had been starved of it for my entire life. I wanted to take it all in to fill in the void that had been opened within me, growing ever since the night I drank from David's bottle. And as I drank, I hardly noticed the little details of my humanity slipping away. Bits of my childhood, of parents, of school, of friends, of my very self. I tugged her closer to my body if only to drive the fangs in deeper.

'My name is…My name…Is…'

They were not clean deaths. I was hell bent on destroying them beyond all repair, not content until there was nothing left recognizable. As I ruthlessly attacked the brunette, I realized she had been snapped out of the catatonic state she was in. The female was struggling, feebly, against me as I mashed her face into the pavement to stop her screaming. With a sharp jerk of her neck, she was limp and quiet again, and I ripped the skin away from her jugular with my bare hands to speed the flow of blood into my mouth. The remainder of my humanity, whatever was left by that point, faded with her heartbeat until the girls I used to call friends became strange, cold corpses before my very eyes, resembling nothing more than pulp of a finished meal. Someone's missing person flier.

I panted, eyes ablaze, wiping some of the blood from my mouth and licking my hands clean with a blissful sigh. I looked up to find five smiling faces. My brothers. And this, right here, might not have been all that ever was, but it was the only thing that mattered as they chanted my name. It wasn't that the memories of my humanity no longer existed. I just didn't care. Before tonight, I was a walking, talking blood bag. Now my life had a purpose, and I couldn't remember why I resisted for so long in the furst place. This was where I belonged and it had never been so clear.

"Come on, Brenna." David extended a hand to help lift me, gently, guiding me in the direction of his bike while Dwayne and Jay took care of the bodies. With his ungloved hand, he removed some speck of blood that I had missed at the corner of my mouth with his thumb. He made a move to take it for himself, but I grabbed his wrist, stopping him and enveloping my lips around his finger to suck it off. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at me as though this was something unexpected, butnot unwanted. I realized David still had a hold of my arm and I slipped his grasp easily while he was distracted.

"I'm a big girl," I purred over my shoulder, adjusting my leather jacket to fit more snugly. "I can walk myself." He continued to smile his mysterious smile, something undeterminable in his eyes. As I strolled over to David's bike, I surveyed the rest of the pack. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, including Michael. On the other hand my brother - my _blood_ brother - seemed…Conflicted? The emotion, whatever it was, vanished in a flash.

"It's good to have you back." He nodded at me and I returned the gesture.

Before out of range, I decided it might be smart to make certain there wasn't any blood staining my clothes or my face. I cast a final glance at the river to evaluate my appearance. I was also curious to see if it had it changed at all. Unfortunately, I realized everything had become a little blurry. Odd. I took off my glasses to clean them only to realized that they were the source of the problem. I could see perfectly! Without another thought, I snapped the frames in two before tossing them into the water where I also noticed, as the surface calmed, that I had lost my reflection entirely.

When I turned around, I noticed David was already on his bike, clearly waiting for me. I decided to slide in behind him, wrapping my arms around his torso tightly, resting my chin on his shoulder, a satisfied smile playing across my face. Although I wasn't aware, it matched his own perfectly. He glanced back at me over his shoulder.

"I could really get used to you back there."

"I hope you don't. I want my own."

"I think that can be arranged." He smiled wider. "Boys," he called out to the rest of the group. "I think it's time for a little road trip. Maybe California?" David kicked his bike into life nearly drowning out the hoots and hollers of my brothers. And with them surrounding me, I realized that it didn't matter where we ended up – in caves or basements of motels. I wasn't lost anymore. I had finally come home. And God, did it feel good...

* * *

 **The End is the Beginning Is the End – The Smashing Pumpkins  
**

* * *

 _"The sewers belch me up.  
The heavens spit me out.  
From ethers tragic I am born again.  
And now I'm with you, now,  
Inside your world of wow,  
To move in desires made of deadly pretends,  
Till the end times begin.  
_ _Is it bright where you are?  
_ _Have the people changed?  
_ _Does it make you happy you're so strange?  
_ _And in your darkest hour,  
_ _I hold secrets' flame,  
_ _You can watch the world devoured in its pain….  
_ _Strange…"_


End file.
